


Hunter x Hunter (but my OC Tenko's in it)

by TheDreamyKitsune



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Canon, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Creepy Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Depends on if y'all want it, Developing Friendships, F/M, Fire Powers, First Meetings, Gender Dysphoria, Gon and Killua catch feelings for each other and Tenko, Gon and Killua don't separate, He can be oblivious sometimes and it's adorable, Hisoka's Bungee Gum Nen Ability (Hunter X Hunter), Hunter X Hunter Spoilers, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I really only made this story for fun, It's canon but at the same time it isn't, Its in there, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Killua being protective of his friends, Kitsune, Leopika might just happen, Like nobody asked for this, M/M, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Multi, Nen (Hunter X Hunter), Oblivious, Oblivious Gon Freecs, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Parental Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter), Parental Leorio Paladiknight, Poly Relationship, Protective Killua Zoldyck, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Tenko and Killua and Gon become friends fast, Tenko catches feelings for Gon and Killua, That's because of my OC being there, The major character death warning tag is for Kite and a few others, This story basically has the whole hxh plot in it except kinda changed up, Why Did I Write This?, it turns into more way later on tho, it's mentioned - Freeform, there might be more ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28033071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDreamyKitsune/pseuds/TheDreamyKitsune
Summary: The small white fox jumps onto the boat, going unnoticed and runs to a hiding spot. He evetually hides behind some crates. Now Tenko doesn't know why he's here on the boat to the Hunter exams now, since he isn't sure he's gonna pass, but hopefully does and will earn something beneficial from it.Or, basically the hxh crossover story nobody asked for. Has the hxh plot but my OC is here and some things are changed.(Disclaimer: I only own my OC Tenko, but Hunter x Hunter doesn't belong to me, but belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. This fic also has some spoliers to the anime, so if you haven't seen Hunter x Hunter and you don't want spoilers, I suggest you leave.)*Also trigger warnings (TW) will be at certain chapters so nobody won't get triggered at anything they're uncomfortable with*
Relationships: Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Alluka Zoldyck & Original Character(s), Gon Freecs & Alluka Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck & Original Character(s), Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck & Original Character(s), Gon Freecs & Kurapika, Gon Freecs & Kurapika & Leorio Paladiknight & Killua Zoldyck & Original Character(s), Gon Freecs & Mito Freecs, Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck/Original Character(s), Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck/Original Male Character(s), Gon Freecs/Original Male Character(s), Hisoka & Illumi Zoldyck, Hisoka & Machi, Killua Zoldyck/Original Male Character(s), Kurapika & Leorio Paladiknight & Senritsu | Melody, Kurapika & Senritsu | Melody (Hunter X Hunter), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 14
Kudos: 15





	1. The X Adventure X Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically what happened on episode one, but it’s a prologue and this is mostly focusing on Tenko and getting his backstory.
> 
> TW: Child Abuse

The small white fox pushed it's way through the large crowd. It made it's way unnoticed, but because nobody saw the fox, the fox's tail would always almost get stepped on. Apparently something caught the people's attention, and the little fox was curious.

Now you may be wondering: Who is this fox? Well, this fox is actually a kitsune who goes by the name of Tenko Chishiki. Tenko's father was a famous hunter, while his mother was a famous retired hunter. Tenko never saw his father before, but admired him for his hunter title.

Tenko was the youngest in the Chishiki family, behind his four older siblings. He had an older sister, and older brother, and an unknown sibling. Every time Tenko asked his mom about his siblings, she said they disappeared.

Ms. Chishiki was determined to possibly make her youngest son the strongest man alive, in hopes of him becoming a strong, famous hunter. She administered him in fighting classes at age 2 and kept him there for a year or two. However, Tenko's mother didn't see any signs of her son's Nen, which confused her. So then she turned to doctors for help.

When Tenko and his mother went the doctor, Ms. Chishiki and the doctor talked, but Tenko wasn't listening. He was thinking of something. The youngest of the Chishiki family was daydreaming of becoming a hunter. Tenko wanted to become a hunter for two reasons.

One: To find his siblings and maybe even his father.

Two: To rescue people and animals. Make them feel safe.

After the boy finished daydreaming, he patiently waited for the big news. The doctor was talking about some stuff that Tenko didn't understand. However, the doctor soon said something that the four year old understood clear as day.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but it appears that your child just...doesn't have Nen yet."

'Wait, no Nen yet?' Tenko thought to himself. He was confused. What did that mean? Tenko listened as his mother rambled about that being impossible. Tenko felt so many emotions at the time, but he didn't know which one to feel. First he felt confused. After that confusion there was disappointment. Then the child felt denial. All these emotions were hitting him so hard he didn't know how to feel.

Finally, he just decided he didn't care.

But as for Ms. Chishiki, she cared. She cared a lot. Every child of hers learned Nen at an early age. The Doctor tried to show Tenko how to learn Nen, but it didn't work. Tenko didn't understand any of it.

When Ms. Chishiki and Tenko went home, the first thing she did was yell at the child. She screamed at him for being weak and then dragged him into the basement. She chained her youngest son up and beat him mercilessly, not caring about Tenko's screams and apologies. When Ms. Chishiki decided she was done, she left her son in chains and locked him up in the basement.

It was at that moment, Tenko realized how important it was to have a Nen.

Things never really changed after that. Tenko no longer felt like his mother's son, but more like her prisoner. He was beaten everyday, forced to endure harsh training, starved, and once even burned a bit on his waist. This kept going for years until something strange occurred.

One day, while his mother was away, a voice spoke to him. The voice told him that he actually did have Nen, but it just appeared later than others.

The voice continued to talk to him and Tenko continued to listen. This unknown voice explained that Tenko had became a kitsune at a young age. The voice explained it was a nine tailed fox spirit who's soul had mixed with Tenko's soul. Tenko now had the DNA of a kitsune. As for everything else, that would come at a later age.

Tenko tried to tell his mother about his newfound chance at having Nen, but the woman didn't believe him and was convinced he was lying. This earned him even more beatings. 

Then, after a few years Tenko turned 10, he decided to try and leave. The only reason he couldn't before was due to a weak, young body and lack of strength. Luckily, thanks to the Kyubi soul in his body, he healed the injuries that weren't permanent and helped him escape. Plus, he grew up and his body was a bit older.

His mother wasn't home at the time, and Tenko knew she wouldn't be home for a while because she was probably out drinking, and when she was, she always came home drunk.

It took a while, but Tenko finally broke free of the chains. It hurt badly to walk, but the boy managed to make his way out the basement. Fortunately, his mother forgot to lock it. 

When Tenko arrived upstairs, he noticed how the house changed so drastically. Alcohol bottles littered the table and glass shards were scattered on the floor, making it harder to get around. When Tenko arrived in his room he was immediately struck with childhood memories. Recalling these past memories was enough to bring him to tears, but he didn't cry because he wanted to leave this house as soon as possible.

He took a bag and took only one thing from his room that his mother surprisingly hadn't found. The plush that he received from his sister before she disappeared. There was a vague memory that overcame him. She gave him the plush when he was around 2 years old. He couldn't exactly remember her face anymore, but he knew it wasn't his mom.

Tenko snapped out of the memory and took the cat plush. It was a bit raggedy now, but the boy could care less. He stuffed it in the bag and then went to the laundry room. There weren't many clothes for him, so he simply took some of Ms.Chishiki's kimonos and put one on, shoving the rest into his bag.

She probably wouldn't notice anyway. Tenko felt a bit weird wearing a kimono that belonged to his mother, but he didn't have any other clothes that would fit him and he didn't have enough money at the time either.

He went into his mother's closet and looked through her masks. Sometimes, Ms.Chishiki went to parties and wore masks. He took a mask that was new and she'd never worn before. It was a kitsune mask. Then Tenko looked around his mother's room for useful things. Sure enough, he found her big safe. He didn't even have to worry about trying to open it, because it was already open a little.

"How stupid." Tenko said, rolling his eyes. He then took out enough money to last himself for a while and shoved it in his bag. He took it and left her large room

Tenko went to the bathroom and cleaned off the noticeable scars on his body. After making sure he looked normal, he silently and carefully snuck out the house. Unsure of were to actually go, he decided to head to the forest. Not only was it a bit far from his house, but Ms.Chishiki probably wouldn't bother looking there.

Then, Tenko put on the mask and ran through the large house. He never remembered his house being this big, but then again, he had been kept in the basement for most of his life.

He lived in the forest for a few days thankfully managing in the environment. Tenko was then adopted by a small pack of kitsunes who thought that he'd be a perfect member of their family. Tenko stayed with them for a while, grateful for them adopting him. They helped him train and understand his powers a lot better. For once in years Tenko felt free, happy.

He felt loved.

Unfortunately, his happiness was taken away from him. On the week before his 11th birthday, his kitsune family had been murdered. It's been rumored that they were murdered by a group called The Scorpions. They were a group of ruthless murderers who wanted nothing but power. And since kitsunes were known to have a lot of power, they had been targeted.

Again, Tenko had been overcome with emotions, and they were pure anger and grief. He swore to take revenge that day.

And as if his life didn't already have enough problems, Tenko's kitsune abilities had malfunctioned. As a kitsune, Tenko had the ability to shapeshift into a fox or any human form. While he had shapeshifted into a fox during his solo training, he was unable to shapeshift back to normal. So know he was forced to stay in that form until he could find a way to go back to his normal form.

And that's how Tenko is were he currently is. He got tired of living alone in the forest, so he went to the village and wondered around there for a while.

When Tenko finally managed to get to the front of the crowd, he saw a boy with green hair and a bright smile holding a fishing rod in the center of the crowd. People excessively talked about how he got a giant fish that no one has succeeded in catching. 'Impressive.' The kitsune thought to himself.

After some time, the crowd finally cleared out and people went back to what they were originally doing. Tenko sighed in relief and went over to the beach area. He nestled himself in the sand and prepared to nap.

It wasn't until around 20 minutes later an even bigger crowd had appeared. Someone stepped on Tenko's tail as he slept, making him wake up instantly and hiss in pain. He rose up and looked at the crowd. Sighing, he pushed his way through the legs of people to get to the front and see all the commotion.

When he got to the front of the crowd, the fox saw the same boy who had caught the fish earlier was boarding a boat. Many people were saying he was going to take the Hunter Exam.

Tenko thought for a second. Even though he was originally convinced he had no Nen abilities several years ago, he did now. And even if his mother had drained his hopes of being a Hunter in the past, he gained those hopes back. Tenko still had the chance to become a Hunter!

The small fox jumps onto the boat, going unnoticed and runs to a hiding spot. He eventually hides behind some crates. Now Tenko doesn't know why he's on a boat to the Hunter Exam now, since he isn't sure he'll pass, but hopefully he does and earns something beneficial from it.

Besides, maybe he will pass the exam! Tenko tries to focus on the positive thoughts when suddenly a loud noise occurs. The boat entering platform is now been put away (however you describe it) and the boy in green is on the boat, waving goodbye to the crowd of people. The boat begins to move away, the people getting farther and farther.

The adventure had just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's pretty much impossible to not be born with a Nen, but I wanted things to be a bit different. I don't know why I bothered creating this, but I couldn't help myself. 
> 
> **Updates will probably be slow. I'm sorry!**


	2. Departing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone heads off to go take the Hunter Exam.  
> Basically the whole plot of Episode 1 of HxH, except different in a way.

As the boat began to go off, Tenko peeked out from behind the crates, looking around. There were still a bunch of people roaming around, so he decided to stay put for a bit. Then Tenko's ears perked up when he heard the green haired kid speak over all the other people. He was still yelling to the people over at Whale Island.

"I'm gonna be the best Hunter!" He told them. The inhabitants on the boat went silent. Then they all laughed. "Sure kid!" One of them said, laughing. Everyone continued to mock the greenette, but the boy didn't seem fazed by it. Tenko could tell that this boy was confident and didn't care about other people mocking his dreams at all, and he admired that.

Tenko continued to watch the ship passengers, curious of what would happen next. While the boy observes the applicants, he notices a crewmember being bullied by his other crewmates. The young green haired boy rushes over to defend the crewmember. Tenko watches as these events unfold and smiles. He takes a liking to this young boy, admiring how ambitious, confident, and kind he his.

 _'Seem like the perfect traits of being a Hunter to me.'_ The fox thought to himself.

Then a slightly short, chubby man with a white beard, who Tenko guessed was the captain emerged from the cabin doors. "All of you, back to work!" He barked. Everyone obliged and quickly scrambled away, except for the bullied sailor, who was still scrambling around to pick the apples up.

The captain noticed the sailor and stood over him, a flask in one of his hands. The bullied sailor looked up at his captain with fear in his eyes, intimidated by the chubby man towering over him.

“You too Katzo!" The captain ordered loudly. The poor sailor flinched and scrambled to pick up the apples faster. When he finished, he lifted up the crate and began to walk away.

"Wait!" A familiar voice yelled. Katzo turned around. It was the green haired kid, and he had an apple in his hands. He tossed the apple over to Katzo's crate, and fortunately, in landed in perfectly.

"Oh, thank you!" Katzo said. Then he scrambled away with the apple crate in his arms. The child watched as waved goodbye to him, then suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky. Tenko was a bit curious, so he looked up at the sky too. There were a bunch of seagulls flying around and circling each other. Tenko wondered why the green haired kid was looking up at them. Were they interesting to him? _'Or maybe, that kid knows something the rest of us don't.'_ The white fox thought to himself as he continued to look up at the birds.

"A storm is coming." The kid finally said. The captain of the boat looked at him. "How do you know that?"

"The sea cranes," the boy replied simply, pointing up at the birds. "That's what their all saying." The captain looked confused. "What do you mean? He asked. Tenko was confused as well. _'This kid understands birds?'_ He thought. _'Wow. That's pretty impressive.'_

Then the green haired kid rubbed his nose and sniffed the air. He did this for a little bit before tensing up. Then he jumped up to the forecastle of the boat and then jumped up the foremast. Then he jumped into the top seat of the boat (I literally have no idea what that thing is called and I'm so sorry) and ran over to a certain area of it. Then the kid rubbed his nose again and sniffed again.

After a bit he peered down at the captain from where he was. "There's a big storm headed here for us!" The green haired boy yelled. The captain eye's widened. Even Tenko was surprised. "It's true, and I can tell by the way it smells!" The kid yelled again.

The captain let out a breath. _'This boy.'_ He thought to himself. Then the captain looked at the green haired kid and stared into his eyes. 'Those eyes,' he thought. They were filled with determination. 'Could he be-' Then the captain ended his train of thought.

Sure enough, the boy was right. A storm had came, and it was _very_ strong. The boat was moving harshly around in the water and everyone in the cabin were being tossed around like ragdolls because of the immense strength.

While the captain was steering the boat, a crewmate came in. "Captain," he said loudly and frantically. "The mast won't hold on much longer, so I think we should lower the sails!" 

"Don't be stupid!" The captain yelled. The crewmate flinched back a bit. "We can't just quit now when the fun's about to start!" Then the boat was about to ride into a wave. The crewmate looked scared, but the captain looked very determined. "Here we go." He said, very ready for what was about to happen.

They were coming closer to the wave. "Now take her heart to board!" He said in a loud voice as he spun the sailing wheel and let go. Then the boat rode through the wave. 

It was very rough, the the boat managed to successfully make it's way through the large and strong wave. The boat ride was still pretty rough. The two crewmates who were with the captain seemed tried and were catching their breaths, but the captain himself wasn't fazed at all. He just took a quick swig from his flask. Then he scoffed.

"I've faced way bigger waves than that and have lived." He said, wiping his mouth. Then he looked over to one of the crewmates. "Hey," he said. "Take over." The crewmate stood straight and saluted. "Aye aye, sir!" He said.

Then the captain left the room to the crewmates. "I'd be damned if this ain't the worthless crew I've seen in years." He scoffed as he walked down the hall. Then he went to the ship's accommodation and opened the door, only to scowl at what he saw. All the crewmates and boat passengers where sprawled out on the floor, clearly exhausted. "Not one of them have any strength, and they think they can pass the Hunter exam?" he asked himself. "Pathetic."

"I guess their good for laughing at, though." The captain said as he chuckled to himself. 

"Here you go, try these herbs." A voice said. The captain looked over to the direction of the owner of that voice and saw the kid who warned him about the storm. He was giving herbs to this seasick passenger. "Just chew them up really good and you'll feel better soon!" He said, handing the herbs to the exhausted man. "W-w-water." The man managed to say, his voice ragged.

The green haired kid nodded. "Just sit tight okay? The water's on it's way." 

_'That boy again.'_ The captain thought to himself. Then the captain heard a little noise and looked around near the boy. There was someone in a hammock. A blonde reading a book quietly, seemingly to caring about his surroundings too much. Then the captain of the ship heard distinct chewing and looked around. He saw a man with brown hair eating an apple. The person made a sound of disgust after chewing the fruit in his hands.

"Jeez, that's what I like to call a sour apple." He said, scowling at the apple.

 _'I see.'_ The captain thought to himself. Then he was pushed out the way by Katzo. "Coming through!" The crewmate said. He rushed over to the green haired kid. "Here you go, I got your water for you!" He said, handing the water to the boy.

"Thanks." The green haired child said gratefully, accepting the water. Then he gave the water to the sick passenger. "Drink up, okay?" The sick passenger quickly and gratefully accepted the water, gulping it down. Katzo smiled as the green haired child helped out the sick man. The captain watched the scene and smiled, humming in satisfaction. Then the blonde who was reading and the brunette who was eating the apple looked over at the boy.

"Thanks for helping me Mr. Katzo, you're the best!" The green haired boy said, giving the crewmate the empty cup. Tenko, who was hidden nicely behind crates, looked over at the kid and smiled.

The storm was still going, and the waves were still going strong, but things were going smoothly. The green haired kid, the blonde, and the brunette where in the wheelhouse of the ship with the captain, Katzo, and two other crewmates. The captain stood in front of the three people who wanted to partake in the Hunter Exam. Tenko was inside the wheelhouse with everyone else, but he was hidden under a drawer.

"Alright, you all tell me your names." The captain ordered.

"My name's Gon!" The green haired kid said, raising his hand up. "I'm called Kurapika." The blonde said nonchalantly. "Name's Leorio." The brunette said, sounding slightly annoyed. Tenko nodded in understanding. He was sick of referring to these people by their character details.

"Good," the captain said. "Now tell me why you boys all wanna become Hunters." Then Leorio pointed a finger at the captain. "Wait a minute," he objected. "You're not an examiner so what's the big deal?" The captain rolled his eyes. "Just answer the question, ya dummy." He said.

Then Gon spoke up. "I wanna become a Hunter because my dad is one." The captain looked at Gon with interest. "For my dad, being a Hunter was the most important thing in the whole world to my dad, and I wanna know why," he said. "That's the reason I left Whale Island!"

 _'Whale Island, huh,'_ the captain thought to himself. _'So it is him, isn't it? Ging's son.'_ The captain stared at Gon and mentally smiled. _'It seems like the day's finally come.'_

"Hey, kid!" A voice said, snapping Gon out of his train of thought. He looked over to the owner of the voice, seeing it was Leorio who spoke to him. "You don't need to tell that old guy anything!" He told him. Gon gave him a look of confusion. "But, he asked me why I'm here, and I've got nothing to hide about it." The green haired kid told him.

"Look kid, get with the program," Leorio said, sounding exasperated. "It's us versus him, and I'm not gonna tell him why I'm here!" Leorio put his index finger on Gon's forehead. Tenko watched the scene from his hiding spot. _'What's with this guy?'_ He thought to himself.

"I'm afraid to say I agree with Leorio." Kurapika said. Gon and Leorio looked over to the blonde. Then the brunette pointed a finger at Kurapika. "That's Mr. Leorio to you, so show some respect for your elders you brat!" He said.

Kurapika sighed softly. "But, why not dodge the question by just giving the man a reasonable lie?" Leorio looked pissed now. "Are you even listening to me?" He asked loudly. Tenko rolled his eyes, wondering why this Leorio man was so loud.

Then Kurapika looked up. "But, it is utterly shameful to simply rely upon trickery," he said. "As for myself, I can't reveal my reasons, for I have my share of secrets myself. Deep secrets that I don't wish to reveal at this moment. That is my reason for not answering your question." The blonde clutched the area of his heart as he said this. 

"Hey you punk, I was talking to you!" Leorio said angrily, pointing his finger at Kurapika. "Then the captain spoke. "So, you two both refused to answer my question." He said. Then he turned to Katzo. "Katzo." he said to the crewmate. The man looked over at his captain. "Yes Captain?"

"Get a hold of the Hunter Exam committee and let 'em know we've got two more dropouts." He ordered. This got Kurapika and Leorio's attention, making them gasp and look up at the captain. "Wait a minute, what do you mean?" Leorio asked. "You still haven't figured it out, have ya?" The captain said with a sigh.

"The Hunter Exam has already started, you know." The captain revealed. Kurapika and Leorio's eyes widened. "It has?" They asked in surprise and unison. Tenko's eyes widened. _'It's already begun?'_ He thought to himself. 

"There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky out there, ya know," he said. "And well, as for the examiners, they don't have the resources or the time to go through all of them. That's where the people like myself come to pick up the slack to screen all the applicants and trim the fat." Then he continued.

"I've already told the committee about the rest of them. Not one of them had made the cut," he explained. "What?" Leorio said, his voice not as loud as before. Kurapika and Gon were speechless. Tenko was quite surprised himself. "That was just a little storm and not one of them could handle it," the captain said, shaking his head in disappointment. "None of them would've survived the later stages of the exam."

"So in other words, the only way you three will be moving on to the next bit of the exam is if I give ya the go-ahead." He said. Then he put his pipe back in his mouth, blew some smoke, and then took it out. "So I'll ask ya again, and think cautiously before ya answer." 

Then Gon looked up at Leorio. "Did you get all that?" He asked. The brunette glared at the green haired boy. Tenko let out a soft giggle. Then Leorio turned to the captain. "You really could've just said that sooner, you know." He said, rolling his eyes. Then Kurapika finally spoke.

"I am the very last survivor of the Kurta clan." He said. Leorio, Gon and Tenko looked at the blonde. "Four years ago, my clan was wiped out by a group of criminals," he said, looking down at the floor. Then he looked up. "That's why I want to become a Hunter. To capture the Phantom Troupe!" 

Tenko had heard of the Phantom Troupe probably once, but he didn't remember any info about them. He was now aware that they were also quite similar to The Scorpions, the group that had killed his kitsune family. The thought made him angry and sad at the same time, but he decided not to think too much about it now.

"It sounds like you wanna be a blacklist Hunter," The boat captain said. "And the Phantom Troupe is a Class A bounty. Even the most skilled Hunters can't get to 'em. You do know it's a suicide mission, don't you?"

 _'A blacklist Hunter,'_ Tenko thought to himself. _'That's what I'll probably be.'_

Then Kurapika began to talk again. "Death is not among my fears, but there's one thing I do fear, and just one thing alone," he explained. "That time will quiet the rage that is in my heart." Then Kurapika's eyes flahsed red for a second, then reverted back to normal.

"So basically in other words, you're just out for revenge," Leorio spoke up. "You don't really need to become a Hunter just so you can get even, do you?"

"That is by far the dumbest question I've ever heard, Leorio." Kurapika said with a sigh. Then Leorio got angry again. "That's Mr. Leorio!" He shot back. Then Kurapika closed his eyes. "There are only certain places Hunters can go, until only they have access to them. Actions that only they can take."

"There are more reasons of course, but the ones I just listed are the only three that you can actually understand." He said nonchalantly. Tenko giggle again from his hiding spot. He admired how calm this blonde was. It was pretty funny.

"Hey," Gon finally said, putting his hand up in front of Leorio and stopping him from trying to fight Kurapika. "Why do you wanna become a Hunter, Mr. Leorio?" Leorio calmed down and smirked. "Me?" he asked. "Well it's honestly pretty simple. For the money!" Gon looked confused. Tenko was as well. _'The money?'_ He thought to himself. That was Leorio's reason for wanting to be a Hunter?

The Leorio jumped up. "Money can buy everything that you've ever wanted, of course," he said, quite loudly. "A huge mansion, a stunning car, and the best booze!" Tenko sighed. _'That's it?'_

"If only money could buy you class as well." Kurapika said to Leorio. Then Leorio was silent. Tenko could tell he was pissed off more than before. "That was strike three," Leorio said, loud enough for Kurapika to hear. "Let's step outside. Time to finish of the dirty Kurta bloodline." Tenko's eyes widened. _'What is with this man?'_

This angered Kurapika. "Take that back Leorio!" He said in anger. Leorio had already opened the door and was going to walk out, but her turned to look back at Kurapika. "I said, take it back." The blonde repeated.

Leorio looked at Kurapika for a little bit. "It's Mr. Leorio." He finally spoke. Then he walked out the wheelhouse of the ship. Kurapika growled under his breath and went to go after him. Then the captain spoke up. "Hey, where do you two think you're going?" he called out. "I'm not done with ya yet!"

"Just let them go." Gon spoke up. The captain and everyone else in the wheelhouse looked at him. "Huh?" The captain said under his breath. "Their gonna be fine. It's just like my Aunt Mito told me one time." He explained that his Aunt Mito told him that you can never understand a person unless you understand what angers them and it's just how you get to know someone.

"Basically, whatever those two are feeling so mad about is very important to them. It's just up to them, and we can't do anything but stay out of their way and let them work their differences out.

"Captain!" A crewmate suddenly shouted. The captain looked over to him. "Look over there." The crewmate said, pointing forward. The captain looked over and gasped. It was a big waterspout (water tornado thing), and the ship was headed right for it. "If we get caught in that waterspout the ship is gonna sink!" Katzo sad worriedly. "Get the sails lowered, right now!" The captain ordered. Katzo saluted. "Is there anything I can do?" Gon asked. "Yes, follow me onto the deck!" Katzo replied.

"Go with them," the captain told the remaining crewmate. "I'll take over." The crewmate saluted and ran to catch up with Gon and Katzo. Tenko decided he should go to. He quickly ran out from under to drawer and ran out the door to follow the crewmates and Gon.

"Hard to starboard!" The captain shouted and took hold of the wheel. Meanwhile the crewmates ran out on deck and tried lowering the sails. Gon was helping the struggling crewmates lower the sails. Tenko was at the end of the line and tried to help out the sailors, using as much strength as he could to help lower the sails.

Meanwhile, Kurapika and Leorio stood across from each other, glaring. Water was splashing them a lot, but they didn't care. They were focused on each other.

"Just take back what you said about my clan," Kurapika ordered. "I will forgive you if you do, Leorio." The brunette scoffed. "You owe me an apology and I'm not gonna tell you again!" Then Leorio pulled out a switchblade. "I'm not apologizing for anything, you got it?"

Kurapika glared at him. "Fine then." He said, before pulling out his own weapons. As for the waterspout, it was getting quite close to the boat. Then suddenly, everyone's grip had let out and they let go of the rope. However, Katzo hadn't let go and was pulled up along with the rope.

He yelled out, and luckily, Gon heard him and turned around. "Mr. Katzo!" He yelled. Tenko saw what was happening and gasped. The captain who was still steering the boat saw Katzo and gasped. The rope flung in front of Kurapika and Leorio. The blonde and the brunette saw what was happening and gasped, ceasing their fight.

Then they ran out to grab Katzo's hands, but unfortunately, they missed. "Dammit!" They both said. Then something unexpected happened. Gon jumped in. He leaped over Kurapika and Leorio and grabbed Katzo's hands. This prompted Kurapika and Leorio to grab Gon's legs. Kurapika and Leorio pulled Gon up. Katzo had passed out and was limp in Gon's arms, but he got him. "C'mon, let's get them back on the deck!" Leorio said.

Then suddenly, something grabbed his wrist. Something fluffy. Then the fluffy thing began to pull his wrist up. Leorio forced himself up to look up and saw a fox using his tail to pull his wrist and get him back on deck. Leorio's eyes widened. "What the hell?" He asked. The fox pulled with all his strength and eventually managed to get Leorio closer to the boat.

"Kurapika, let go of Gon's leg," Leorio said. The blonde looked at him like he was crazy. "What?" he asked, in surprise. "Why?" Leorio gave him a determined look. "Just do it," he said. "I promise it'll be fine!" Kurapika looked skeptical. "Why should I?" Leorio sighed. "Just do it!" He said. The blonde glared at him, but slowly and reluctantly let go of Gon's leg. 

After a while, the fox finally pulled Leorio, Gon and Katzo up onto the deck. Before Leorio could grab Kurapika's hand, the fox jumped over and used his strangely long tail to grab Kurapika's wrist. At first, Kurapika was shocked and surprised by something fluffy pulling him up, but eventually, he calmed down a bit. The fox was running out of strength, but he didn't care. 

Finally, he pulled the blonde Kurta up onto the deck. After doing that, he collapsed on the deck. 

After a while everything had been taken care of and everyone was safe. Leorio and Kurapika stood in front of Gon. "You idiot," the brunette scolded him. "If it weren't for us, you would've been shark food! You owe me big time kid, and don't forget it!"

Then Kurapika spoke up. "It wasn't just us Leorio." He said, pointing over to the fox. As for Tenko, he was sprawled out on the deck floor, exhausted. Helping them out was harder than he expected, especially in this body. _'At least I managed to help them.'_ Tenko thought to himself. 

Then Tenko felt himself being lifted up from the ground. He yelped and squirmed, but then looked up and realized it was Gon, causing him to relax. "Thanks for helping us," he said to Tenko, smiling. "How did you do it though?" Then Leorio decided to talk. "That thing's got a pretty long tail," he said. "Are you sure it's even a regular fox?" 

"He probably followed us here!" Gon said, looking at Kurapika and Leorio. "How do you know it's a male?" The blonde Kurta asked. "I can tell," Gon said. "He has the body type of a male fox, preferably a young one." Then Gon hugged the fox closer.

"We should keep him with us!" Leorio and Kurapika glanced at each other before glancing at the fox. Then Leorio shrugged. "Sure, I guess." He said. "I suppose we can keep him." Kurapika added. Gon smiled.

"But Gon, as for you, how reckless can you be?" Kurapika asked, both worried for his safety and angry that he took a risk like that. "But I'm fine, Kurapika," he said. "You and Leorio both caught me together at the nick of time." Then Kurapika and Leorio both looked at each other. Leorio looked back at Gon.

"I-I guess you've got a point there." Leorio told him. "Hey Gon!" A voice called out. Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Tenko looked over and saw Katzo running towards them. Gon got up from the floor and smiled. "Hi Mr. Katzo!" He said. Katzo stopped running and smiled at the green haired kid. "Thanks for saving me Gon, you're amazing," he said gratefully. "You saved my life back there!"

"Well yeah, but I didn't do it alone," Gon said. "Leorio and Kurapika helped me too." Katzo turned to the blonde and the brunette and bowed. "He's right, so thank you both." He told them. Kurapika looked at the boat crewmate. "Please, no thanks necessary." He said. "Yeah, it was really no problem." Leorio added sheepishly. "We're just glad you're okay."

"He also helped us out." Gon added, pointing over to the fox in his arms. Katzo turned to the animal and raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked. "Well if that's the case, thank you too." He then gave Tenko a pat on the head. Tenko's body tensed up, but seeing that the touch was friendly, he calmed down.

"Well, I better get back to my post," Katzo told them. "Goodbye!" Then Katzo walked away. Kurapika looked over at Leorio, who was smiling as he watched Katzo leave. Then he giggled a bit. Leorio looked at the blonde and raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?" He asked. "I'm quite embarrassed about my behavior." Kurapika said, then turned to the brunette. "Please excuse my impoliteness, Mr. Leorio."

Leorio's eyes widened a bit. "I wasn't expecting that," He says. "Just forget about it, it's no big deal. You can drop the whole mister thing, so just Leorio is fine." Kurapika smiled. "Also, I'm sorry too," Leorio apologized. Kurapika looked up at him, eyes wide. "And I take back all the things I said about you earlier. I shouldn't have said those things."

"No, it's fine." Kurapika told him. Gon smiled at the blonde and brunette making up with each other. Tenko wagged his tail a little, satisfied that the two worked out their differences. Then gruff laughing was heard. Gon, Kurapika, Tenko and Leorio turned and saw the boat captain standing in the doorway of the boat cabin. He was laughing at them.

"Heh, you three are growing on me, so I'm gonna make sure you all safely get to the port that's closest to the Hunter Exam site," he said. "How's that sound to ya?" Gon looked hopeful. "You'd do that?" He asked. The captain nodded and walked up the stairs to the higher part of the dock (if there's a name for that, I apologize because I don't know).

"But wait, what about your test?" Gon asked. The captain stopped walking up the stairs and turned around to face the green haired kid. "Like I said earlier, I'm the one who decides who can continue on to take the exam," he said. Then he smiled a big smile. "Congratulations, you're all moving forward!"

Leorio smile was as big as the captain's. Kurapika smiled and hummed in satisfaction. Gon jumped up joyously. "All right!" He said. Then he started to laugh happily. Tenko barked happily and wagged his tail. He was so happy him and his newfound friends would be moving on to the later stages of the Hunter exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone was interested in this book, I'm sorry for being on such a long hiatus from this. I just got the motivation to make another chapter.🙇♀️
> 
> I'll try to update on this more frequently if I can.


	3. The Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting off the boat, Gon, Tenko, Kurapika, and Leorio are faced with a test on their way to the Hunter Exam.  
> Episode 2 of HxH but different in a way.

After the captain let them continue on with the test, Leorio, Gon, Kurapika, and Tenko were safely and successfully dropped off at the Dolle Harbor. 

Gon and Tenko stood in front of the boat captain. The green haired boy shook the captain's hand and smiled. "Thanks for dropping us off here, Captain," he said. "We had a lot of fun!" Tenko wagged his tail in agreement. The captain laughed. "It was no problem at all," he told the boy. "I had a lot of fun too!"

"As a token of my appreciation, I'll give you some advice before you leave. It'll really help you out!" The captain offered. "Advice?" Gon asked. "For what?" Tenko tilted his head. _'Some advice?'_ He thought to himself. The captain pointed over to his side. "See that huge cedar tree at that hilltop over there?" Gon nodded.

"I advise you to go there first," the captain told him. "It's a nice 'ol shortcut to the Hunter Exam site." Gon's eyes lit up. "A shortcut?" He asked. "Okay, cool!" Tenko's tail wagged faster, but then it abruptly stopped. While Gon talked to the captain, Tenko sniffed the air. _'I think someone's here.'_ The fox thought to himself. Then Tenko decided not to worry about it too much. Besides, him, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio had to get to the Hunter exam site. Still, Tenko stood on guard and watched his surroundings.

"So, I just have to go up to the cedar tree?" Gon asked the captain. The boat captain nodded. "Okay, I'll be sure to do that. Thanks!" The captain nodded and grinned at Gon. "Good luck, kid." He said.

"The same for you, captain!" Gon said as he ran off. "Take care!" Tenko barked and went to follow him. After Gon and the fox left, the captain put his pipe back in his mouth. _'Rest well, Ging,'_ he thougth to himself. _'You son has become an amazing person.'_

After Gon and Tenko caught up to Kurapika and Leorio, they were looking at a map, trying to find where to go. Leorio put his finger up to his chin. "Hm, that's strange." he mumbled. Gon and Kurapika looked at him and Gon tilted his head. "What's strange?" He asked.

"Well, according to the news I got, the Hunter Exam is apparently being held somewhere in a place called Zaban City," he replied. Then he pointed to the map. "So right now, we're here." he pointed to a spot on the map. It was a circle with a few houses in it. It was the town they were in. "That cedar tree we're supposed to be going to is in the opposing direction." Then he pointed to another spot on the map.

Kurapika looked at Gon. "Maybe you misheard him?" Gon shook his head. "Nope, he said we should head toward that cedar tree." Tenko barked and nodded in agreement. "I see." Kurapika mumbled, putting his finger up to his chin in thought.

Leorio scoffed at the paper his was holding. "Jeez, and this notice isn't helping us either," he said. "Where exactly are we supposed to even go in Zaban City?"

Kurapika crossed his arms. "It seems that we need to get to Zaban City to the exam site with a little amount of information, so it's just another test we'll need to take before we're allowed to go take the exam." Leorio scoffed again. "I knew that!"

Gon then spoke. "Anyways, me and the fox will go have a look," he told Kurapika and Leorio. "Besides, there must've been some reason the captain suggested that." 

"Hey wait, you're serious?" The tall brunette asked. Then he pointed to a yellow bus. "That bus over there is gonna leave for Zaban City soon, so we just take it." Gon wasn't listening though. He waved to Kurapika and Leorio. Tenko turned back at the blonde and the brunette and barked a bit. "Hey, Gon!" Leorio yelled.

Then Leorio facepalmed. "Jeez, that's kid has gotta learn that you can't just trust everyone." He sighed. Then Kurapika began to walk after Gon. Leorio raised an eyebrow and put his hand down. "Hey, Kurapika!" he yelled. "Where are you going?"

"Gon's behavior is much more interesting to me than the captain advice," He replied. "I'm going to tag along with him." Leorio rolled his eyes. "Oh so that's the case, huh?" he asked. "Alright then. See ya!" Then he picked up his suitcase and began to walk towards the yellow bus. "Nice knowing ya, even though it wasn't even that long." He said.

Leorio scoffed as he walked. "He's not as independent as I first thought he was," he said under his breath. "I'll just take the bus then." 

"So it was just a trap, huh?" A quiet voice said. Leorio stopped in his tracks and his ears perked up. "Seems that none of those buses actually got to Zaban City." Someone snickered. "Rookies usually always fail the part because their just so naive and dumb." This was followed by more laughing.

Leorio thought about this for a minute. Then , he quickly turned back and ran to catch up to Gon, Kurapika, and the fox. "Hey guys, wait up!" He yelled.

Eventually he caught up with the three of them. They were now walking on a dirt road. "I knew you guys would be lonely without me, and traveling alone is no fun," Leorio said. "So I decided to travel with you guys." Then he started laughing. Kurapika rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.

After walking for a while, the four ended up walking through what seemed to be a ghost town. "This place is pretty creepy." Leorio commented. Tenko had to agree with him there. _'This place is giving me bad vibes.'_ He thought to himself as he walked, occasionally looking around to make sure he'd see something suspicious and point it out to the group.

"I don't see anyone around here." Leorio said, looking around as he walked. Gon shook his head. "No, there's a bunch of people here." He said. "What?" Leorio asked, now a bit suspicious. Tenko's eyes widened a bit. _'What?'_ he thought. _'But how?_ _'_

Then suddenly, a door began to open. The group tensed up and looked to the front of them. In front of them was a stage were an old woman sat. The stage was surrounded by strange people in white cloaks and masks. Tenko titled his head. _'What the hell?'_

Leorio's eyes widened a bit. "W-who are these guys?" He asked. "What's up with them?" The elderly woman sitting at the stage studied the quartet. "Exciting." She said. Tenko tiled his head. _'What does she mean by exciting?'_ He thought to himself. The fox sat down on the ground and waited for anything that might happen.

"E-exciting?" Leorio asked himself. _'What does she mean by that?'_ Kurapika and Gon stared at the old lady and the masked people, waiting for something to happen. "Exciting." The woman repeated. _'Exciting?'_ Leorio mentally asked himself. _'Why does she keep saying that?'_ Tenko thought to himself in confusion. Then something happened.

"Time for the exciting two-choice answer quiz!" The old woman unexpectedly yelled, her voice ragged from old age. Then the masked, cloaked people with musical instruments in their hands began to play the instruments. Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tenko had confused looks on their faces.

Once the people stopped playing their instruments, the woman spoke again. "You boys," then she stopped at looked directly at Tenko for a moment. "And fox, are going to the cedar tree on the hill, right?" When nobody answered, she continued. "To get to that tree, you need to pass through this town."

"I will give you one single question." She said. "Hey, wait a minute," Leorio objected. "What's happening here?" Then he started looking around. The elderly woman continued. "You will have five seconds to answer my question," she explained. "If you answer incorrectly, you're disqualified, and you'll just have to give up on taking this year's Hunter Exam."

"I see," Kurapika said. "Then this is apart of the exam." Tenko sighed and laid down on the ground. He was technically useless right now, considering he could only speak in barks, and not human words.

"Oh, I see how this is," Leorio said. "Luckily, I actually just so happen to be a quiz expert." Tenko rolled his eyes. "Wait, only one question?" Leorio asked in realization. "The answer you provide will either be the number one or the number two," the elder said, holding up one finger and then a second finger. "Any other answer you give me will be classified as wrong."

"Hold on," Leorio began. "So all three of us are gonna share just one question?" Then the brunette pointed to Kurapika and Gon. "So you're saying if one of them answers the question wrong, I'm gonna be disqualified too?" Kurapika crossed his arms. "Most doubtful," he told Leorio. "It isn't doubtful that you'll make a mistake, though." Leorio glared at the blonde Kurta. "What was that?" He asked angrily.

Then Gon put his hands up. "But you know, this way it's kinda easier, since only one of us needs to know the answer." Then the green haired boy put his hand behind his head. "I'm not exactly the best at quizzes." He said sheepishly.

"I suppose you have a point." Kurapika said. "Tch, fair enough, I guess." Leorio agreed.

"Hey there, hurry up." A voice said. Kurapika, Tenko, Leorio, and Gon turned around and saw a an walking up behind them. "Or else I'm gonna answer the question myself." Tenko narrowed his eyes at the man. He knew exactly who he was. Leorio raised an eyebrow at the unknown person. "Who are you?" He asked.

"He followed us here, from the port." Gon replied. Tenko barked in agreement. He remembered seeing the man, but didn't bother doing anything about him until he felt that he had to. "Huh? Really?" Leorio asked, narrowing his eyes at the man. "Sorry about that kid," the man said. "I just overheard your conversation at the port earlier.

Then the old lady spoke. "Well, what will you do?" She asked the quartet. Leorio shrugged. "He seems pretty willing to take it," he said. "We'll just let him go first, I guess. That way, we're gonna know what to expect at our turn." 

"I don't mind." Gon said, shrugging a bit. "I do not object." Kurapika said. Tenko moved out the way to let the man go through. "Then I guess I'll get to it." The stranger said. One of the masked people walked up to him and put a wooden stand with a red button in front of him. The stranger smirked. _'Such idiots,'_ he thought to himself. _'I'm just gonna leave a few traps in my wake.'_

"Here is your question," the old lady began. "Rogues have kidnapped your lover and your mother, but you can only save one of them. One for your lover, two for your mother. Who will you rescue?"

Leorio, Kurapika and Gon tensed up and their eyes widened. "W-what kind of question is that?" Leorio asked. Tenko sat on the ground and flicked his tail left and right. 'Well if it were in my case, it'd most likely be my lover, if I had one.' The fox thought to himself.

The stranger smirked, then pressed the button. Kurapika, Gon, Leorio, and Tenko looked at him. "The answer is number one." He said simply. "Oh?" the elderly lady asked. "And why do you choose that?" The man put his arms out in a shrug type of way. "Because you can't replace your mother, but you can always get another lover." He replied, like it was obvious.

"What?' Leorio asked. A crow on one of the masked people's arm cawed. "You are free to pass." The old woman finally said. The stranger smiled. "Wait, what?" Leorio asked. "You just have to give the old lady what she wants to hear," the stranger man said in a matter-of-fact way. "See ya." Then he jogged off."

Leorio looked pissed. "Wait, are you kidding me?" He asked, raising his arm up. "How the hell is that the right answer?" Then he continued. "So we just have to give the old lady what she wants, and that's the right answer?" Gon crossed his arms, looking while he was in thought. When the old lady didn't answer, Leorio got a bit angrier. "Hey, say something already!" He shouted. The crow cawed again.

"Tch, I'm not about to put up with this," Leorio said. "I'll just find another route." Then he started to walk away. "It's already too late, you know." The elderly lady said. The brunette stopped walking and turned around, raising an eyebrow. "If you refuse to take the test, then you are automatically disqualified." The lady said plainly. "That's just ridiculous!" Leorio said in anger. "Different people would obviously give out different answers, so there's no correct answer at all!"

Kurapika's eyes widened. _'That's it,'_ he thought. _'I understand it now!'_ Then the blonde Kurta turned to the brunette. "Leorio!" He called. The old lady put her hand up. "Wait!" She said. Kurapika and Leorio turned to face her. _'The blonde haired boy seems to have figured it out now.'_ She thought to herself. 'Do not say another word,' she said to Kurapika. "If you say anything but the answer to my question then you are immediately disqualified.

Kurapika tensed up, then sighed and looked back at a fuming Leorio. _'Come on, Leorio.'_ the blonde thought. _'It's just a simple trick. You can do it.'_ Then Kurapika looked at Gon. He looked like he was thinking aout the question himself. Then Kurapika looked at the fox. He was sitting on the ground, intensely watching the lady.

"Here is your question," the lady said. "Your son and daughter have been captured. You only can rescue one of them. One for you son, or two for your daughter. Who are you going to rescue?"

 _'This one's way different.'_ Tenko thought, sitting up a bit. _'I feel like the answer should be obvious to everyone, though.'_ Leorio was even more pissed off than before. _'This old lady's messing with us, I'm sure.'_ He thought to himself in anger. Then the old lady started to count from five to one. "Five." She began. Leorio started to walk away from his suitcase. Tenko watched him as he grabbed a wooden plank leaned up against a building.

"Go ahead, count down." Leorio grumbled. Then he began to swing the wooden plank a little. "Four," the woman said. "Three." Kurapika stared at Leorio. "Two," the lady counted. "One." Leorio continued to swing the plank around up and down in the air. Then the elder made a buzzing sound. "Your time is up." She said simply.

Then, almost unexpectedly, Leorio jumped up, plank in hand, going towards the old lady. She didn't seem fazed by Leorio though. Then Kurapika jumped in and blocked the tall brunette's attack with his two wooden swords. The crow that was there with one of the cloaked people cawed loudly and flew away, leaving some feathers in it's wake. "Wait Leorio!" The blonde said.

"Don't try to stop me, Kurapika," Leorio argued. "I'm not gonna be satisfied until I teach this old hag a damn lesson!" Kurapika glared at him. "Calm down Leorio!"

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down?" The brunette asked, angry and exasperated. "You already passed the quiz," the blonde shot back. "Are you really trying to put that in danger?" Then, as soon as Kurapika said that, Leorio's eyes widened. He looked confused. "Wait, we passed the quiz?" 

Kurapika lowed his nunchaku. "We gave the right response, and it was silence." Then he put his weapon away." Leorio was still visibly confused. "Wait, silence was the answer?" He asked. "Remember you had said it earlier." Kurapika replied. Then Leorio remembered. He said there was no right answer a few minutes ago. 

"Exactly," the blonde Kurta said. "This quiz simply has not right answer. But, we could only say one or two as the answer. So in other words, we were not supposed to give a response at all." Then Kurapika put a finger to his lips. "Silence was the only answer, Leorio."

"But what about that other guy?" Leorio asked, referring to the guy who took the quiz before them like a few minutes ago. "She never said he was right or wrong," Kurapika stated. "She only said he could pass." Then the blonde turned to the old lady. "So in other words, this path behind you is the wrong path, right?" Kurapika asked her.

The old lady stared at the Kurta, then she smiled. "Exactly," she finally said. Then she got up from her spot on the stage and walked towards a door with two cloaked people standing in front of it. "The correct path is right over here." Then the cloaked people opened the doors, revealing a path. "This path here will lead you right to the cedar tree," she explained. "If you walk for two hours, you'll reach the top."

"Oh," Leorio realized. "So that's what this whole thing was about." 

"A couple lives in a cabin under that cedar tree," the elderly woman said. "They're navigators. If you meet up to their standards, they should give you a guide to the Hunter Exam site." Leorio dropped the now broken wooden plank from his hands. "Grandma, I'm so sorry for my rude behavior." He apologized, then bowed. 

"No apologies needed," the elder said. "My reason for doing this job is that I like meeting people like you." Leorio was confused. Then the lady turned to him. "Please, I ask of you to do your best and become a great Hunter." She said. Leorio smiled and nodded.

Then someone groaned. Leorio turned around and saw Gon sitting on the floor. "It's no use," he said. "I can't think of an answer." Tenko giggled. Leorio laughed. "Are you still trying to find an answer?" he asked. "You know you can stop now." Gon tilted his head. "Huh? But why?"

Kurapika stifled a giggle. "The quiz is over, Gon." He replied. "Oh, I know that," he said. "But you know, what if I actually ran into some situation like that, and I only can save one person. What should I do then?" Kurapika and Leorio's playful faces shifted to serious ones. "It wouldn't be right for me to only save one person," Gon said. "But maybe, one day I'll actually have to make that choice."

 _'He is right,'_ the old lady thought. _'This quiz is essentially for that reason. What is abstract now, might just become a cruel reality later.'_ The old lady then waved goodbye as Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Tenko left and began walking the path. _'One has to be ready for crosswords like that.'_ The old lady said mentally.

**Later at Nighttime.**

"It's so dark out here now," Leorio commented. "So she said walk two hours? Well that was two hours ago!" Then the quartet came across a sign. It read: Beware of Magical Beasts. Leorio walked up to the sign. "Another one of these signs?" He asked. Then he sighed. "Are we ever even gonna get to the exam site?" He groaned. Kurapika, Gon, and Tenko, who were ahead of him, turned around. "I'm hungry!" He shouted, waving his arms around.

"Leorio, I've gotta go take a dump," Gon said. "We'll leave you behind for a bit." Leorio was still waving his arms around. "I've gotta go take a leak too!" He yelled. Then Kurapika turned around and saw something. "hey, I see it." He said, catching Gon and Tenko's attention. 

Just up ahead of them was a cabin under the cedar tree, just like the old lady said earlier. They went up to the house and Leorio knocked on the door. "Hey, anybody home?" The tall brunette asked. "Do you think they went out?" Gon asked. Then Leorio put his hand on the knob and turned it, surprisingly, it was unlocked. 

They opened the doors and walked in. "We're entering." Leorio announced. Then the quartet gasped.

The house was damaged on the inside, and a man was laying in the rubble, limp and injured. There was also a giant yellow creature standing in front of him on two feet. The unknown beast turned around and stared at Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Tenko with sinister red eyes. It was holding a scared woman in a chokehold.

Gon took his fishing rod out, and Kurapika took out his nunchaku. Tenko bared his teeth. "It's a Magical Beast!" Leorio said loudly. "A Magical Beast?" Gon asked. "It's a shapeshifting Magical Beast, the Kiriko," Kurapika explained. "They can take on human form, and they are very intelligent!"

"He has a woman in his grasp!" Gon said. "And that guy on the floor needs medical attention quickly." Leorio added.

Then the Kiriko jumped out a window, with the woman still with him. Kurapika, Gon and Tenko ran to the now broken window. "P-please, my w-wife!" A voice said. The three of them turned around to see the owner of the voice. It was the injured man. "Please, save my wife!" He begged. Leorio kneeled down beside the man and opened his suitcase.

Gon and Tenko jumped out the window to catch up with the Kiriko. Kurapika took of his bag. "Leorio, treat the man's injuries!" He said. Then he jumped out the window. "I'm on it!" Leorio told him.

Meanwhile, the Kiriko was jumping from tree to tree. Gon, Kurapika and Tenko were behind him. _'He can follow the Kiriko, even though his shadow is faint and it's really dark.'_ Kurapika thought, referring to Gon.

Gon began to jump up some tree branches to get a better chance at getting closer to him. Tenko decided to follow him and jumped up the branches with him. The fox didn't have to worry about slipping or anything, considering he had night vision.

Kurapika looked up at Gon and smiled. _'He's pretty impressive.'_ He thought to himself. Then he looked at Tenko. _'That fox is also impressive. I wonder what type it could be.'_

The Kiriko continued to jump from tree to tree. Eventually, Gon and Tenko caught up to him from beside him. "Kiriko, let that woman go!" Gon yelled. Tenko barked. The Kiriko grinned a big toothy grin. "Come and catch her, if you can!" He yelled, and jumped further away. 

As Gon went to catch him, he accidentally forgot to grab on to the next brach and fell. Tenko jumped down to see if he was okay. When Tenko went to his side, he began to bark. Gon sat up and petted the fox's head. "It's okay," he said with a smile. "I'm fine. Now let's get going!"

Kurapika saw the two of them, but luckily, Gon was okay and him and Tenko caught up to the blonde. "Wow," Gon said. "The Kiriko can talk!" 

"That Kirko can talk?" Kurapika asked. Gon nodded. "This way, it'll be easier!" Then Gon jumped back up to the branches, with Tenko following right behind him. "Hey you, silly Kiriko," Gon shouted. The Kiriko turned around for a second. Unfortunately for him, it was a second too late. 'Wow, the kid's fast.' The Magical Beast thought.

Then Gon hit the Kiriko right in the forehead with his fishing rod. The second that happened, Tenko's claws slashed him in the forehead. Luckily, the beast let go of the woman. Unluckily, she was falling to the ground. Gon saw this.

"Kurapika!" Gon yelled. Kurapika jumped in and caught the unconscious woman before she could hit the ground. "That was quite reckless." The blonde said to himself. 

The Kiriko rubbed it's head in pain. "Stupid brats," He mumbled under his breath. "You'll pay for this, you little brat!" Then the beast jumped away. "Wait!" Gon yelled, going after him. Tenko barked and went to follow the green haired boy.

Meanwhile, Kurapika was still with the woman. She had already woken up. "Are you alright?" he asked her. "Are you feeling any pain?" The woman looked up at the blonde Kurta. "Yes, I'm okay," she replied. "What about my husband? Is he in good condition?"

"Our friend is currently caring for him, don't worry." Kurapika assured her. "Please take care of my husband." The woman fretted, putting her hand on Kurapika's shirt. Kurapika looked down on her hand, then his eyes widened. Her shirt sleeve went down a little, revealing black tattoos on her wrist. 'Those tattoos.' The blonde Kurta thought to himself.

The woman noticed what Kurapika was looking at and quickly turned away to cover her arm up. Then she glanced at the blonde a little. "You, you're," Kurapika began, then a voice called out his name and interrupted him. It was Leorio. "Are you okay?" The tall brunette asked, running up to him and the woman. "Leorio?" The blonde asked. "Oh, good, you and the lady are okay." Leorio said in relief.

"How is the husband doing?" Kurapika asked. "Yeah, he's fine now," Leorio replied. "His injuries weren't as serious as we thought before. I gave him some painkillers, and now he's sleeping in the cabin."

"I see." Kurapika said quietly. Then he gripped his nunchaku. Then without warning and looking, he whacked Leorio in the face with his weapon. 

Leorio gripped his face in pain. Kurapika lowered his weapon a bit. Then Leorio started to snicker. "How did you know?" He asked, still laughing. Then the blonde turned around to face Leorio. "How'd you figure out that I was an imposter?" Leorio asked. Then he body began to take shape into something bigger. Then this imposter had turned into a Kiriko.

"I didn't think that you were Leorio," Kurapika said. "You see, I told Leorio to treat the injured man and his wounds, and he consented to that. Given the other Kiriko is currently on the loose, I hit for unwisely leaving a wounded man on his own. That is all."

The Kiriko laughed, then jumped away. The the blonde Kurta turned to the woman. "So, tell me," he said, then put one of his wooden swords to her neck. "Who exactly are you?" The woman grinned.

Meanwhile, Gon and Tenko were still chasing the other Kiriko. Gon had lost track of him now, so he stood on a tree branch and looked around. Tenko stood next to him, sniffing the air to find the Kiriko's scent. Suddenly, Tenko eyes widened. He finally found the Kiriko's scent.

Then Tenko started barking. Gon looked at the fox and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" He asked. Then Gon heard leaves rustle in the distance, and looked around. Then the Kiriko Gon and Tenko were looking for jumped from a tree and up to another branch. Gon and Tenko jumped onto the branch the Kiriko was originally on. "Hey, wait up!" Gon yelled to the beast.

The Kiriko didn't listen and continued to run away from tree branch to tree branch. Gon and Tenko ran after it, eventually gaining on it. Then the Kiriko jumped into a bushel of tree leaves. Tenko and Gon jumped in after it. But then, while they were in the air, the duo looked down and realized they had jumped off a cliff. Then Gon had an idea.

He grabbed Tenko and held the fox close to his chest. Then he used his fishing rod in his other hand. He launched the fishing rod up and it wrapped around a tree branch. Gon swung on the line, then his feet came into contact with the cliff. He jumped back up and then landed on the ground safely. Then he put Tenko down. "Are you okay?" The green haired boy asked the fox. Tenko barked and nodded the best way he could.

Then the duo heard laughing. Gon and Tenko looked up and saw the Kiriko perched up on the highest part of a tree. "For a kid and a regular fox, you're both quicker than I thought," He said. "Never expected you two to snake an attack on me."

Then Gon looked away for a second. The Kiriko jumped down from the tree and landed in front of him and Tenko. "Now you're about to find out," the Kiriko said, raising his claws. "How much that hit's about to cost you!" Then Gon looked around, somewhat unfazed by the Magical Beast. then the Kiriko brought his claws down.

"Who are you?" Gon asked the beast.

The Kiriko stopped bringing his claws down. "You aren't the one me and the fox hit a while ago, are you?" Gon asked the Kiriko. "Are you like his friend or something?" The Magical Beast was confused. "How do you know I'm not the one from earlier?" 

"Well, your face is different," Gon replied. "And your voice is different too. It's thinner and higher." Then Tenko went over to the Magical Beast and sniffed him for a minute. _'He smells different.'_ Tenko looked back at Gon and barked a little. "I'm pretty sure he thinks you smell different too." Gon said, pointing to Tenko. Tenko walked back over to the green haired child and sat down, staring at the Kiriko.

Then the Magical Beast began to laugh. Gon and Tenko looked at the Kiriko, kinda confused. "Did I say something funny?" Gon asked as the Kiriko continued to cackle. "Hey honey, come here," the Kiriko called out, still laughing. "You've gotta see this!" Tenko tilted his head. _'What does he mean by honey?'_ The fox thought to himself.

**At the cabin**

The two Kirikos sat in front of Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tenko. "It's been so long since someone's been able to tell the two of us apart!" One of them said. "It makes me really happy!" The other said. Leorio leaned in next to Kurapika. "Hey, can you tell those two apart?" He asked the blonde. "Nope, not at all." Kurapika replied.

Gon turned to the brunette and the blonde. "The one me, Kurapika, and the fox fought is the husband." He explained. "But which one is the husband?" Leorio and Kurapika asked quietly in unison.

Then one of the Kiriko's stepped forward. "Allow us two introduce ourselves." He said. "We are the navigators, and our family supports the Hunter Exam. The woman with the magenta hair raised her hand up and smiled. "I'm their daughter!" She said. The blue haired male held his hand up and smiled. "I'm their son!" He added. 

"Jeez, you really had us fooled." Leorio said sheepishly. "The Hunter Exam changes it's locations every year, so it's pretty hard to find." One of the Kiriko's said, holding a finger up. "So us navigators help out by guiding the applicants to the exam site." The other Kiriko added. "So that's how it works." Gon said, nodding. "But we don't really help every applicant." The daughter said. "We test the candidates to see if they they're worthy of continuing the exam." The son said.

"Mr. Kurapika." The daughter called. "Yes?" The blonde asked. "You correctly used the most indistinct of hints to figure out that we weren't a married couple," she said. Then she pointed to her arm. "The hint was this tattoo right here. In this region, the tattoo signifies that a woman is single for life." 

"Mr. Kurapika displayed that he's very intelligent," the daughter said. "So therefore, he has passed." The blonde sighed in relief. "Great job, Kurapika!" Gon told him, holding his fist out for a fist bump. Tenko happily barked and wagged his tail. "Thank you, Gon." Kurapika said, accepting the boy's fist bump.

"Mr. Leorio." The son called. "Yeah?" Leorio asked. "You realized my actual identity." He said. This worried the tall brunette. "But, you treated my wounds better and faster than a doctor would. And most importantly, you reassured me a lot and told me that my 'wife' was safe." The son said. Leorio pushed his glasses up. "S-stop that," he mumbled. "It's embarrassing."

"The compassion that you have makes you fit to take the Hunter Exam," the blue haired man said. "So, you pass." Leorio's eyes widened. "W-wait, I do?" He asked in surprise. Then he collapsed onto the ground in relief. "Thank goodness." 

"You did it, Leorio!" Gon said, holding his hand out for a fist bump. Leorio gave the boy a weak smile and gave Gon a fist bump. Tenko barked at Leorio and wagged his tail, happy that he also passed.

"Now you Mr. Gon," One of the Kirikos said. "And Mr. Fox." Gon and Tenko looked at the Kiriko. "Yes!" Gon said. Tenko barked. "With your super physical abilities and great viewpoint make the two of you more worthy to take the exam." Then the Kiriko grinnned. "You both pass."

Gon smiled widely. Leorio and Kurapika gave Gon a fist bump. Then Tenko barked to try and get Gon's attention. Gon bent down in front of the fox and held his fist out. Tenko lifted up his paw and put it on Gon's fist. Then the fox rapidly wagged his tail and barked happily.

Then the Kirikos agreed to take the group of four to the exam. Tenko hopped in Gon's bag since the Kirikos couldn't hold him. As they flew up in the air, Gon smiled at his friends. "Isn't it amazing that we all passed?" He asked. Kurapika nodded. "However, it's too early to celebrate now," he said. "We've hardly earned the right to take the actual exam.

"There's nothing wrong with celebrating a little bit, though," Leorio told the blonde Kurta. "We're really making progress!" Kurapika sighed. "Honestly, you guys should think more." Leorio glared at him. "Hey, why do you have be such a smart ass?" He asked, kicking his legs. The two Kirikos holding him almost dropped him, but luckily, they didn't.

"Hey, stop moving around!" One of them said. "If you fall, it's your loss!" The other told the brunette. Gon laughed at his friend's antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in! Wooo😊
> 
> Thanks for reading this!


	4. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tenko get to the Hunter Exam.

It took a while, but Gon, Kurapika, Tenko and Leorio finally reached Zaban city. The Kirikos got the quartet safely on the ground. Tenko jumped out of Gon's backpack and stretched his legs. Kurapika, Leorio and Gon stretched their legs as well and looked around for a bit.

"Thank you for getting us here!" Gon said, smiling brightly. "Yes, thank you." Kurapika said. "Thanks!" Leorio added. Tenko barked in thanks. The Kirikos smiled. "You're welcome." One of them said. "Good luck!" Another one said. The Kirikos son didn't leave though. He had to stay with the group of four and lead them to the exam.

Then Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Tenko said their goodbyes. Before the whole group left, one of the Kirikos got Tenko's attention. "Hey you." he said to the fox. Tenko turned around to face the Magical Beast and tilted his head a little. "Hope you turn find a way to turn human soon." The Kiriko said with a grin.

Tenko's eyes widened. _'How-'_ the fox said. Thoughts were swirling his head. _'How the hell does he know?'_ Then the Kiriko laughed at the confused fox and flew away, leaving Tenko dumbfounded. _'What just happened?'_ Tenko thought to himself in utter confusion.

Then suddenly, hands wrapped around Tenko's small body. He yelped and squirmed around, but then was face to face with his captor. Turns out it was just Gon. Tenko sighed in relief. "What are you doing?" Gon asked the fox. "We've gotta get to the Hunter Exam, silly!" Then he ruffled Tenko's fur gently. _'Oh right, forgot about that for a second.'_ Tenko thought. Tenko jumped onto Gon's shoulder and relaxed himself there.

Gon couldn't help but smile. "Hey, Gon," Leorio's voice called out. "C'mon, lets go!" Gon began to run to his friends. "Coming!" Gon yelled. Gon finally caught up with Kurapika, Leorio, and the Kirikos son. "As a navigator, I have to identify applicants who are worthy of taking the Hunter exam and bring them to the exam site," the son explained.

"So in other words, it'd be very hard for someone to get to the Hunter Exam site without the help of a navigator." He said. As the son explained things, Gon grew bored and decided to explore. After a bit, him and Tenko came across a stand that sold frogs on sticks.

"Want one?" the shopkeeper asked, showing Gon a frog on a stick. "Their Zaban City's famous panda frog-on-a-stick! A true delicacy indeed!" Tenko narrowed his eyes at the cooked frog. It looked weird to him, to be honest. Although, Gon looked really interested.

After trying a frog-on-a-stick sample, Gon and Tenko moved onto another shop. The duo came across a shop that sold beautiful jewelry. The shop owner showed the green haired boy a pretty brooch. "This beautiful brooch was dug out from Zaban's underground palace," she explained, holding to brooch up the Gon's face. "You know, I bet it's a international treasure."

Meanwhile with Leorio, Kurapika, and the son of the Kirikos, they were still talking. "Zaban City is kinda a shady place, y'know." Leorio commented as he looked around. "Flourishing cities like this have the tendency to get the attention of all types of people with sketchy things." Kurapika told him.

As with Gon and Tenko, they were still sightseeing. Gon was interested in many different shops and stands. Him and Tenko checked out many different stores. Tenko felt a bit bored, especially considering he could hardly do much with this body, but didn't have the energy to leave Gon and go find the others, so he simply stayed with the green haired kid.

The group eventually noticed Gon and the fox were missing. Leorio spotted them at another shop. "Hey, what are you going Gon?" Leorio asked. "We've gotta go!" Gon looked away from a shop he was in front of and nodded. "Okay, I'm coming!" He said, skipping over to the group.

After a while, Gon, Tenko, Leorio, Kurapika and the son of the Kirikos were in the middle of a town center. The Kirikos' son stopped walked, then looked at the map in his hands. "I'm pretty sure that's the building." he said Then he looked up and pointed to a building in front of him. Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Tenko looked up.

When Gon saw the building, a huge smiled formed on his face. "It's so tall," He said. "It seems like a really nice building. "So this is the exam sight right here," Leorio said, as they walked towards the building. "This is what draws the attention of..."

"Hunter Exam candidates from all across the world." Kurapika finished his sentence. Gon clenched his fist at his side. "This is my first shot at the Hunter Exam ," he said. "I wonder if this is how my dad felt when he first got here?" 

"Hey guys," the Kirikos' son called. "The buildings actually over here." Kurapika, Leorio, Gon and Tenko turned to their side. "Right here." The son of the Kirikos said, pointing to a building in front of him. This building was small and not as pretty as the other building. _'Go figure.'_ Tenko thought with a sigh.

"Wait a minute, is this a joke?" Leorio asked as the quartet walked over to the building the Kirikos' son told them to go to. "No matter how you look at it, its just a little restaurant!" Then he shook his head in disappointment. "You can't be saying that all the Hunter exam candidates actually go in there?" He asked. "That's exactly what they do." The son of the Kirikos said. "The Hunter Exam is in a place where nobody expects it to be, and nobody would expect millions of applicants to be located in this simple place."

Leorio sighed. "I guess you've got a point there." When the five got into the restaurant, they saw a chef frying something. There were also people sitting at the counter. "Welcome." He greeted them, without looking up. "Hi," the Kirikos' son said. "Is the back room open? The chef looked at the group. "What'll it be?" He asked, as if they were ordering something.

"The steak combo," the Kirikos' son answered. "The one that'll make me see the light. For four." Tenko was confused. Why was he ordering food when they had to get to the Hunter Exam? Then the fox realized that this was probably just a secret code to get to the exam. _'How could I be so stupid?'_ Tenko thought to himself exasperatedly.

Then the chef narrowed his eyes at the blue haired man. "For four...huh?" He asked. "How would you like them?" The son of the Kirikos grinned. "Grilled over a low flame, until their done."

The chef nodded. "Got it," he said. "Please got take your seats in the back room. When they reached the back room, the blue haired man stayed by the door. "Please wait here." He told Gon, Leorio, Tenko and Kurapika. "Wait, why?" Leorio asked. "Where are all the others?"

Gon smiled to himself. "I can't wait for the steak combo!" He said. "Gon, that was just a little password to get us in here without anyone getting suspicious." Kurapika told him. "Aw, so that means we don't get to eat?" He asked. Then the blue haired man spoke. "One in every ten thousand." He said. Gon looked at him and gave him a confused look. "That's the number of applicants who have made it this far." The Kirikos' son clarified.

"You all have done quite well for beginners," he told them. "Well, I wish you good luck." Gon held his hand out and smiled. "Thank you!" He said with a big smile. The son of the Kirikos stared at Gon's hand for a bit, but eventually accepted the handshake. "I would be honored to serve as your navigator for next year, as well." He said. Then he said goodbye and closed the door. Then the elevator began to go up. "What?" Everyone said in unison.

"It seems like this room is an elevator." Kurapika stated. Tenko jumped off Gon's shoulder and looked around for a bit. Leorio sat on one of the chairs in front of the table and crossed his arms. "Damn bastard," he mumbled. "He makes it sound like we'll fail this year." 

"One every three years." Kurapika said after him and Gon sat down. Leorio raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. "It's the frequency with which a rookie passes the exam." The blonde replied. "So it's that unusual?" Gon asked.

"Some applicants mentally break under the test's orders," Kurapika explained. "While others are just crushed by veteran applicants and they never take another shot at it." Gon nodded in understanding. "So I guess exam applicants are willing to do whatever it takes to become Hunters." Gon said. 

Tenko sighed as he jumped onto the table and laid down. He was sick of being in the body of a fox. It was annoying, there were a ton of things he couldn't do, and worst of all, he probably fail the Hunter Exam. Another terrible thing was that Tenko had no idea when he'd be able to transform back. Most likely, he'd change back on his own, but when would it happen? Tenko wasn't sure, but he hoped it happened soon. Being in this body was ruining his chances of becoming a Hunter.

Then Leorio slammed his hands down on the table, making Tenko jump. Leorio looked at Gon. "But of course, my friend," he began. Hunters make the most amount of money in the world!" Tenko sighed and rolled his eyes. 

"That's wrong," Kurapika intervened. "Being a Hunter is deemed as the noblest of jobs in the world." Leorio scoffed at the blonde Kurta. "Goody-goody boy!" He shouted. "Money grubber!" Kurapika shot back. Gon and Tenko stared at the two back and forth as they argued. Then Leorio slammed his hands down on the table near Gon, making poor Tenko jump again. "Gon, listen to me," he said. "Every year, over fifty Hunters can make a spot on the list of the world's hundred richest people!"

"The image of capturing animals and collecting treasure belongs to a second rate Hunter," Kurapika said. "A Hunter's real job is to protect and secure all nature and society." Then Leorio leaned in next to Gon.

"Now look, Gon,"he said. "Once you become a Hunter, most countries are gonna give you a free pass to enter. And plus, use almost all public resources!"

"How are those advantages sound to you?" He asked. Then Kurapika intervened again. "Pro Hunters seek to reserve and protect all precious cultural artifacts," he said, holding a finger up. "That even includes rare fauna and flora. Something equally important is tracking down and capturing poachers and wanted criminals. It may be a hard career, but it's worth it and very rewarding!"

Leorio leaned in closer to Gon. "Think of all the money and fame," the told the green haired child. "That's why people wanna become Hunters!" Kurapika glared at the tall brunette, then faced Gon. "Think of the keen knowledge, sound mind and body, and the strong convictions," he told the boy. "That is the reason people want to become Hunters and they are the reasons Hunters have pride in themselves!"

Leorio and Kurapika strongly glared at each other. "Gon, what do you think?" the two asked in unison, turning to face the green haired boy. "What type of Hunter do you want to be?!"

"Well um," he began. "When you put it that way..." Luckily, Gon didn't have to answer, because the elevator beeped. Leorio and Kurapika sighed. "We'll finish this talk later." The tall brunette said. Gon sighed in relief. Tenko jumped onto Gon's shoulder and barked a little.

The group left the elevator and walked into a a big area. There were tons of exam applicants around. When Leorio, Gon, Kurapika and Tenko walked in, most of the applicants stared at them. "Pretty strange atmosphere down here." Leorio said to himself. Kurapika nodded. "They are quite different from the Hunter Exam candidates we saw at the port and in the city," he said. "Each one is a master in their on way."

The Gon walked up. "Excuse me," he said, then he stopped and looked at all the applicants. They stared at Gon intensely. Their stares reminded Tenko of the way his mother would stare at him if he badly messed up, especially in public. A chill went down the fox's spine. "Everyone's really tense." Gon commented.

Then someone walked walked up to them. A small green person who Tenko had to admit looked a bit strange. "Please take a number." He said, holding up a badge with a number on it and holding it up to Leorio. Leorio looked at the badge, then took it. His number was 403.

(I know its 404 in the anime, but I heard that Togashi-san got the badge numbers wrong, so Leorio got the wrong number badge. Sorry for any confusion.)

Then the man went to Kurapika and gave him a numbered badge. The blonde Kurta's badge number was 404. "Here you go." The strange man said, handing Gon a badge. "Please be sure to wear this on your chest at all times and be careful not to lose it." Gon nodded, then pinned the badge to his jacket. His badge number was 405. Then the man reluctantly (he was unsure to do it) gave Tenko a badge. Tenko's number was 406. Tenko sighed in relief, happy he had a badge.

After struggling a bit (and eventually having to get Gon's help, Tenko stuck the badge onto, near his upper neck a bit. Gon was very unsure about putting the badge on the fox, but he did it eventually. Tenko was very relieved that Gon went along with it.

"Hey, I haven't seen you guys around before." A voice said. Gon looked up and saw a chubby man wearing blue sitting on the tube things on the wall ( I don't know what they're actually called and I'm so sorry). "Hey there." He said in a friendly voice. 

"You can tell that we're new?" Gon asked. He and the group walked up to the man a little. "Eh, more or less you could say." The man replied. Then he jumped down from his perch. "After this exam, it'll be my thirty fifth attempt." He said. 

"Thirty five times?" Kurapika, Leorio and Gon asked in disbelief. Even Tenko was really surprised. _'This person failed the Hunter Exam thirty five times?'_ He thought to himself in disbelief. _'But how?'_ The man looked a bit sheepish. "Well, I guess you could say I'm an exam veteran." He said. Kurapika and Leorio glanced at each other. "Tch, that's not something a person would brag about." Leorio whispered to Kurapika. "You're correct, indeed." The blonde agreed.

"Since I know the ropes here, if you've got questions, feel free to ask me." The man in blue said. Gon smiled. "Thank you." He said. Then the man held his hand out. "My name's Tonpa." He said. Gon accepted Tonpa's hand. "I'm Gon." He said, shaking the man's hand. "The people behind me are Leorio and and Kurapika." He said.

Then Tonpa pointed to the fox on Gon's shoulder. "And what about this little guy?" He asked. Tenko looked up at him and gave him the lazy eye. "Oh, his name is Yuki." Gon replied. As soon as he said that, Tenko's eyes went a little wide and his posture straightened. _'Since when is my name Yuki?'_ He thought to himself. Then again, he really had no say in it now, considering he couldn't speak in human speech to Gon and tell him his real name.

"Hey," Gon said, looking up at Tonpa. "Are there other applicants who have taken the exam a lot of times like you?" 

"Well, I have the most experience here out of everyone, but there are a few others," Tonpa replied. Then he pointed over to his side. "There's that guy over there. Number 255. He's Todo, the wrestler." He was pointing to a big man eating some food. "He's pretty unmatched when it comes to strength," Tonpa explained. "But he is pretty smart too." 

Then he pointed to another person. "On ther other side over there, we have number 103," he said, pointing to a man with his eyes closed for some reason. "His name is Bourbon, the snake charmer. He kinda he tends to hold grudges, so ending up on his bad side is terrible.

 _'His name is literally a type of whiskey,'_ Tenko thought to himself. _'That's pretty ironic.'_ The fox wasn't trying to judge the snake charmer in any way. He just thought his name was ironic.

"And over there is number 191, Bodoro, and he's the kung fu master." Tonpa said, pointing to an old man. "He's getting pretty old, but you can't find a better martial artist than him." Tenko was interested in Bodoro for a bit. He seemed like an interesting person to spar with. Maybe one day it would happen if he got out of this damn fox body.

Then Tonpa pointed to three men. "Those are the three brothers, Amori, Imori, and Umori," Tonpa explained. "They perform pretty well and very consistently because of their great teamwork." Then Tonpa pointed to another person. "Over there is number 384, Gerreta the huntsman," he said. "He pretty much specializes in killing many creatures, by blow dart and club."

Tenko tensed up. _'Did he just say he kills many creatures?'_ He mentally asked himself. The fox stared at Gerreta intensely. _'Guess I've got another reason to watch my back now.'_ He thought with a sigh.

"There are many more applicants, but they've taken the test the most times." Tonpa told the group. "Wow, cool!" Gon said. Then a man walked past Gon and his friends. As he walked, he bumped into another man's shoulder, without even apologizing. _'Jeez, that guy's pretty rude.'_ Tenko thought, referring to the man who bumped the other man. The man who gotten bumped into didn't do anything.

As Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika talked to Tonpa, someone started shrieking. They all turned around, alarmed by the sound. The man who had bumped into the other man was losing his arms! They were just fading away, and tiny flower petals were falling from his arms each time they disappeared, little by little. The man screamed in agony as he lost his arms.

"Oh, how dubious," the redhead said. This was the person the man bumped into. He was tall and wearing quite peculiar clothes (in Tenko's opinion). "His arms seem to have become small flowers petals and vanished." All the exam applicants stared at the redhead man. "Now you see them, now you don't." He said. Gon's eyes widened a bit as he stared at the man.

"But do be careful though," the redhead said. "When you bump into someone, you should really apologize." Everyone stared at the man with looks of worry or something different. Tonpa sighed. "That psycho guy's back again." He said. "Huh?" Gon asked. "What do you mean?" Then Kurapika and Leorio turned to Tonpa. "So does that mean he took last year's Hunter Exam?" He asked.

Tonpa nodded. "Number 44, Hisoka, the magician," he explained. "Last year, he was a virtual lock to pass the test, but that was until he almost killed he didn't approve of." Leorio's eyes widened. "Wait," he said. "So their still letting this guy retake this year's Hunter Exam?" Tonpa nodded. "Of course they are."

 _'Wow, I guess they don't care that this guy is crazy.'_ Tenko thought to himself, staring at Hisoka for a minute. "You see, every year the examiners and the content of the test change," he began to explain. "And the examiners are the ones who will pick the new content. Even the devil himself could pass the Hunter Exam if an examiner allows it to happen. That's just how the Hunter Exam works around here."

"Anyways, nobody here really likes Hisoka," Tonpa said. "So staying out of his way is a good idea." Leorio narrowed his eyes at Hisoka. "One things for sure, he looks dangerous." He said.

"Oh right, I forgot," Tonpa said, reaching into his bag. "How about a nice toast good luck and friendship?" Then he pulled out 3 orange cans of what Tenk guessed was juice or something. Leorio and Gon smiled. Kurapika smiled as well, but it was hardly noticeable. "Oh, thanks!" Leorio said. Tonpa handed him one, and the tall brunette accepted.

"I just so happened to be thristy." Leorio said. Tonpa handed a can of the juice to Kurapika and Gon, who accepted. "Thanks!" Gon said. "Thank you." Kurapika thanked Tonpa.

Then Tonpa took out a small bowl from his bag and another can of juice. He poured some of the contents of the can into the bowl and gestured it towards Tenko, smiling at him. Tenko sniffed the liquid. _'Laxative poison.'_ He thought to himself. Tenko knew those quite well. His mother gave those to him once as a punishment.

Tenko stuck his tongue out at the liquid and jumped into Gon's backpack. Tonpa shrugged and poured the juice back into the can carefully.

Three men who were standing together laughed to themselves. "There goes Tonpa." One of them said. Another one smirked. "He always pretends he's the nice guy, despite the fact that he's more inconsiderate than anyone else here." He said. One of the men nodded. "Tonpa, the Rookie Crusher." He said.

"Best of luck to all of us!" Tonpa said. Then everyone joined in and made a toast. The Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon opened their cans. Tenko peeked out from Gon's backpack. He hoped these three were smart enough to figure out the drinks had laxatives in them. The Tenko turned and glared at Tonpa. Tonpa noticed and looked away for a bit. _'That fox must think I'm suspicious or something.'_ He thought to himself.

Then he smirked. _'That juice I gave them has got a really strong laxative in it, so they'll never be able to resist it.'_ He thought. _'Just one sip, and for three days, their guts gonna feel like their on and endless rollercoaster. They're gonna need diapers to take the exam!'_ Tonpa watched as the three brought their cans of juice up the their lips.

Gon brought his can up to his lips and poured the drink into his mouth. As soon as the liquid came into contact with his taste buds, he knew something was off about the drink. The green haired boy spit the drink out. Tonpa's eyes widened. _'Wait, what?'_ He thought.

"Mr. Tonpa, I think this juice went bad," Gon said sheepishly. "It tastes kinda weird." After Gon said that, Leorio had spit his juice out as well. He glared at Tonpa. "Seriously?" He exclaimed. "Jeez, that was close!"

A drop of sweat dripped down the side of Tonpa's head. "That's pretty strange." He said sheepishly, putting a hand behind his head. But really, he was furious. _'No_ _way,!_ He thought to himself. He was frustrated and confused because that laxative in the drink was supposed to be scentless and tasteless.

Kurapika poured out his juice before he even took a sip of it. Tonpa immediately bowed to the trio. "I'm so very sorry," he said frantically. "I didn't know the juice went bad!"

"It's okay, Mr. Tonpa," Gon told him. "You don't need to apologize. Is your stomach okay, Mr. Tonpa." Tonpa tensed up a bit, but nodded. "Y-yes, I'm okay." He said. "I've tasted all kinds of plants and mountain grasses, so I can usually always tell when something isn't right." Gon explained.

"O-oh, really?" Tonpa asked. "That's really cool." Tenko peeked out of Gon's back a little and saw visible beads of sweat on Tonpa's face. _'Damn,'_ Tonpa thought to himself angrily. _'I just had to get a feral thinker, huh?'_ Then his eyes landed on Tenko. The white fox stuck his tongue out at Tonpa and slipped back into Gon's backpack. Tonpa glared at Tenko for a quick second, then turned back to Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon.

"Sorry about those drinks," Tonpa said. "Anyways, I'll be seeing you around. Bye." Then he left. "He was a pretty talkative old man." Leorio commented.

As Tonpa walked away, he frowned. _'There's really something wrong with this year's exam rookies,'_ he thought to himself. _'They're supposed to be gullible.'_ He looked over at a bald man talking with a few other men. _'Number 294, Hanzo. He seemed gullible when I walked up to him.'_ Tonpa thought.

Then Tonpa remembered having a conversation with Hanzo. Hanzo told Tonpa he was a ninja, but told the man wearing blue to keep it a secret. Hanzo explained that he was looking for the legendary scroll. The legendary scroll was apparently the Ultimate Ninja Scroll. It was why Hanzo wanted to become a Hunter. He said it was hidden somewhere that wasn't accessible to regular ordinary people.

After that explanation, Tonpa offered a juice to Hanzo for a toast. Hanzo declined the drink though, claiming that shinobi don't eat or drink anything that's offered to them by others. Tonpa nodded, saying he understood, then awkwardly laughed.

 _'By the look in his eyes, I could tell that Hanzo's no idiot,'_ Tonpa thought. _'If I make one wrong move, I could be in danger.'_ The Tonpa turned around. He was looking at a man with pin needles in his body. His face was shaking a little too. _'Speaking of danger,_ _there's number 301,'_ Tonpa thought to himself. _'Peril just flows off that guy, and I can't even get near him.'_

 _'Then there's the guy who annoys me without realizing it,'_ Tonpa thought. _'Number 187, Nicholas.'_ He looked at a small, chubby boy. His attention was fixated on his device. 

Tonpa recalled his encounter with that boy. When he approached him, Tonpa decided to start out friendly and strike up conversation, as always. "Hey, must've been pretty hard to get here, huh?" He said, walking up to Nicholas. "Well, not really," the boy said. "Everything went as predicted because of my data." Then he began typing on his computer. 

"I used historical data from the past exams to calculate this year's exam location," Nicholas explained. "It was actually pretty simple. To be honest, I was bored senseless." Then he patted the back of his head. "Oh, that's really cool," Tonpa said, pretending he was amazed. Then he gestured a juice towards Nicholas. "My name's Tonpa. Nice to meet you."

"Mr. Tonpa, huh?" Nicholas asked. Then he went typing away on his computer for a minute. Then he smiled. "Oh, there you are. This is your thirty fifth attempt at the Hunter exam, and the second highest number by one person." Then he continued on, regardless if Tonpa wanted him to or not.

"With you thirty, you have the most continuous appearances, which is quite impressive." He said. Tonpa smiled awkwardly. "It's no big deal, really." He said. Then he gestured the drink closer to Nicholas. "So how about it? Let's have a nice toast for friendship."

Nicholas stroked his hair again. "But actually, you have yet to pass the exam," he said. "From what I assume, that's because you're so focused on your other objective." Tonpa tensed up. Then Nicholas looked at him. "Mr. Tonpa, the rookie crusher." He confirmed.

Tonpa's eyes widened. "W-what?" He asked. The Nicholas closed down his laptop. "Well, I won't be sharing this knowledge with anyone else, considering currently you're holding the record for continuous appearances. "Goodbye." He said. Then he walked away, leaving an annoyed Tonpa behind.

In reality, Tonpa glared at Nicholas. _'You little bastard, just you wait,'_ he thought to himself. 'I'll break your snotty little ego.'

"Hey, Mr. Tonpa!" Someone called. Tonpa turned to his side. It was a boy with albino hair. He had a skateboard tucked under his left arm and was waving to Tonpa with his free arm. "Can I have some more of that juice?" He asked. Then he put his arm behind his head. "It must be my nerves, cause I'm really thirsty."

Tonpa's eyes widened. Then he relaxed his expression. "Oh, of course." He replied. _'What the hell?' H_ e asked himself. Since the had gottena can of the drink earlier and drank it, the laxatives should've taken effect while ago. 

Tonpa watched as the white haired kid walked over to him. _'What's going on?'_ Tonpa thought. When the kid came up to him, Tonpa opened his bag up and took out a juice can. Then he handed it to the kid. The albino haired child thanked up and opened up the can and began to drink.

Tonpa watched as the white haired male drank the juice. Then Tonpa glared at the kid. _'It's only a laxative, but if he drinks that much, he could die of dehydration.'_ He thought. While Tonpa was drinking, the albino haired kid noticed Tonpa staring at him. Then he smirked. "Are you worried about me?" He asked Tonpa.

The man wearing blue snapped out of his train of thought. "Huh?" He asked. The albino male wore the same smirk on his face. "I'm fine," he said. "I've built up a resistance, so poisons can't really kill me." Then the white haired kid walked away, leaving a confused Tonpa behind.

"Wait, poison?" Tonpa asked himself. _'That kid knew what was in the juice, but still drank it?'_ He thought to himself. _'Number 99, Killua,'_ Tonpa thought. Then he clenched his fist angrily. _'This year's rookies are crazy!'_

Then the man smirked. _'Well, that doesn't matter,'_ he thought to himself sinisterly. _'That only means crushing them will be worth it even more.'_

Then suddenly, a loud timer rang. It rang for a while, alarming some of the applicants. Then after a short time, it stopped. Then a large stone door started to open upwards. When the door finished opening, the exam applicants saw a tall man in a purple suit with light purple hair standing there. He also had a thin mustache.

"I dearly apologize for the wait," the unidentified man said. "The enrollment period for the Hunter Exam applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin!" Everyone looked ready, especially Gon and Tenko. They couldn't wait to get started. 

"Before we start, a final word of caution," the man said. "If you are unlucky, or you lack the necessary abilities, you'll wind up gravely injured or even dead." Despite hearing this, Gon was determined. Tenko was as well. Besides, he could stand a few injuries.

"For those of you who agree to these risks, please follow me," the man said. "If you do not agree to these risks, you may exit via the elevator behind you." Not one Hunter Exam applicant moved a muscle. "Very well then," the tall man said. "All 404 of the applicants will be participating in the First Phase." Then he turned around and lifted one foot up. Then he put it down and began to walk.

Everyone followed the man as he walked. Tenko decided to get out of Gon's backpack and join the rest in the walking. He felt like if he didn't, it was qualified as cheating and he didn't deserve to be partaking in the exam, let alone being a Hunter. The fox hopped out of Gon's backpack and walked beside the green haired boy.

"Tch, of course nobody left," Leorio said, looking around. "I was thinking a few people would've gave up and withdrew."

Suddenly, the man at the front of the crowd slowed his steps. The applicants took notice of this. Then the man quickly increased the speed of his steps. He increased his speed so much, it made people start running.

"What's happening?" Leorio asked. "The people in front of us started running." Gon replied. "The man up front has picked up the pace." Kurapika added. As they walked, the man up front spoke. "I realize that I've neglected to introduce myself to you all," he said. "My name is Satotz, and I'm your examiner for the First Phase of this year's Hunter Exam."

"I will be leading you to the Second Phase of the exam," Satotz explained. "The Second Phase?" Hanzo asked. "What about the First Phase?"

"It has already begun," Satotz replied. _'It's already begun? This is a part of the test?'_ Everyone thought. Tenko figured this was an endurance test. Besides, Hunter should have good endurance skills, right?

"You all must follow me onto the Second Phase of the exam," Satotz told them all. "This is the First Phase." Hanzo was still a bit confused. "Just follow you? That's all?" He asked. Satotz answered with a simple yes. "I cannot tell you when or where you must arrive," he said. "You simply need to just follow me."

"I see how it is now." Kurapika said as they ran. "This is a pretty weird test." Gon commented. "So it's just an endurance test," Leorio said. "Tch, that's fine by me. I'll be right behind you."

 _'But, because we're unaware of how long we have to run, this will seriously test our mental resilience,'_ Kurapika thought. _'Not only are they testing our endurance, but their_ _testing our psychological strength as well.'_ He didn't mind this. He just continued to run with the rest of the applicants.

The first phase of the Hunter Exam had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter!


	5. The X First X Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes through the first Phase of the Hunter Exam  
> (Episode 5 of hxh, but different in a way)

It had been two hours since the First Phase had begun. So far, all the exam applicants traveled other thirty kilometers since the starting point. Some of the applicants already gave up and dropped out, exhausted from running.

As they ran, Nicholas started to pick up his pace. His laptop was still in his hands. He smirked. _'Guessing from historical data, the type of exam generally has a forty kilometer_ _course,'_ he thought. _'According to my calculations, we are getting near the goal!'_

Meanwhile, Leorio looked like he was struggling a bit. His face was drenched with sweat and his teeth were clenched. _'I really underestimated the Hunter Exam,'_ Leorio thought to himself. _'Every applicant here is pretty much a monster! It's a whole gathering of monsters.'_ Then a white haired kid on a skateboard rode past Leorio. The tall brunette noticed this and frowned.

"Hey kid, wait up!" he shouted. The albino haired boy turned to glance at Leorio. "Hm?" He asked, not fazed by the brunette's loud behavior. "You should be showing the Hunter Exam some respect, you know!" Leorio said.

"Hm, what are you talking about?" The boy asked. "Why are you using a skateboard?" Leorio asked, pointing to the albino haired kid's skateboard. "That's cheating, you know!" The boy looked down at his skateboard for a bit, then turned his attention to Leorio. "How am I cheating?" The white haired male asked. 

Leorio looked pissed now. "This is an endurance test, you know!" He said. "No it's not." A familiar voice said. Leorio and the white haired boy turned around. "Huh?" Leorio asked. It was Gon who spoke. Tenko was perched on his shoulder. Gon had put him up there a little while ago to rest his tiny legs. "What are you talking about, Gon?" Leorio asked, seemingly angry that Gon wasn't taking his side.

"The examiner never said this was an endurance test," the green haired boy replied. "He only told us to follow him." 

"Who's side are you even on?" Leorio asked loudly. The white haired boy started to slow his skateboard down to match Gon's pace and get next to him. "Hey, how old are you?" He asked. "I'm twelve." Gon replied. _'Hm, we're both the same age.'_ The albino haired boy thought. The he jumped off his skateboard and flipped it in the air. Then he grabbed it and tucked it under his arm. Gon and Tenko's eyes widened.

"I think I'll walk for now." The white haired male said. Gon had a big smile on his face. "Wow, that was really cool!" He said. "I'm Killua." The boy said. "I'm Gon!" Gon said enthusiastically. Then Killua's eyes landed on Tenko. "Who's this?" He asked. Gon smiled. "This is Yuki!" He replied. Tenko barked and smiled, sniffing the air around Killua. _'He seems pretty friendly.'_ He thought.

Killua guided his hand out towards Tenko. The fox sniffed his fingers, then put his head under Killua's hand. Killua accepted and petted Tenko's head. Leorio, who was behind the three, scowled. _'Damn it,'_ he thought. _'Just messing around like that!'_

After quite a while as they continued on their run, some people were getting very tired. Nicholas was currently struggling himself and he was getting dizzy. _'I-impossible,'_ he thought. _'This is impossible! My calculations are never incorrect!'_ Then he got worried. _'So, am I...going to fail?'_ Nicholas asked himself mentally. He was getting dizzier and his vision was worsening. _'Me? Fail? That's just so illogical! Absurd!'_ Nicholas thought.

"I refuse to accept that fate!" The chubby boy declared, trying to run faster. Some of the applicants in front of him heard Nicholas and glanced at him. 

Nicholas' breath was hitching more and more by the second, and his steps were getting sluggish. Unknowingly, he dropped his laptop. As soon as the electronic came into contact with the floor, it shattered. 

At this point, Nicholas' steps were so sluggish, they turned into walks. He sounded like he was completely out of breath. He looked down at the ground as he walked. "Hey, rookie!" Someone said. Nicholas looked to his side. It was one of the Amori brothers. Without realizing it, the other two Amori brothers were behind Nicholas. "You're a complete mess." Amori said. "It's pretty rare to see someone run out of energy so early, y'know." Imori said.

"You clearly must be really pathetic!" Umori added. Nicholas probably would've made a comeback, but he was too out of breath to do so. "It's the people like you who are obviously doomed to pass the Hunter Exam." Imori said mockingly. "So don't even bother coming back, you loser!" Amori said.

It looked like Nicholas was losing it. He couldn't take it anymore. He held his head in his hands and wailed in agony. Then he dropped to the ground.

Tonpa ran up to the Amori brothers and handed Imori some money. "Thanks for that," he said. "Here's you're payment." Imori grinned and took the money. "There's no way he'll be recovering from the treatment we just gave him." Amori said confidently. "I doubt that little punk will ever be taking the Hunter Exam ever again!" Umori said with a laugh.

The Imori looked at Tonpa. "Anyways, Tonpa," he began. "You really love crushing rookies, huh?" Tonpa looked at him and smirked. "Heh, I live for it." He said triumphantly.

Meanwhile, everyone was still running. _'It's been four hours since the exam began,'_ Kurapika thought to himself. _'We've probably traveled about sixty kilometers. How much longer and farther do we have to go?'_

Tenko, who was still with Gon and Killua, had started running a while ago. He wasn't too tired, but he was getting kinda bored. _'I know this is supposed to test our endurance_ _and how long we can last, but I'm getting bored.'_ He thought to himself. Then the fox looked up at Gon. He seemed to be holding up quite nicely. He didn't look tired at all. Then Tenko looked at Killua. He didn't look tired either.

As for Leorio, he was panting hard and his steps were getting sluggish. He was getting far behind from the group of exam applicants. _'Every three years, only one rookie passes_ _the Hunter Exam,'_ the brunette thought to himself. _'Jeez, an regular guy like me doesn't have a chance at this.'_ Leorio watched as another applicant jogged past him.

 _'Ugh, damn it,._ Leorio thought to himself. Then he dropped his suitcase, but he either didn't notice or didn't care. Gon heard the suitcase hit the floor and glanced behind him. He saw Leorio bend down and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Gon slowed his steps down. Killua and Tenko noticed and turned around. Then they stopped running.

The three looked back at Leorio. "Hey, let's leave him," Killua said to Gon. "We've gotta get going." Gon didn't listen though. Tenko looked up at the green haired kid and knew he wouldn't be going without Leorio anytime soon. Tenko decided to stay as well. Killua raised an eyebrow at Gon, confused about why he wasn't leaving Leorio behind. 

Leorio was satrting to catch his breath a little, but he was still in bad shape. Sweat was still running down his face, and his teeth were clenched. Then he closed his eyes. "Screw this." Leorio said after a bit. Then something happened.

The tall brunette leaned back on one foot, then in a second, he ran. He ran fast too. "I came here for one reason, and it was to become a Hunter!" He yelled as he ran. "Damn it!" He shouted. In a flash, he ran past Gon, Killua, and Tenko. As he ran, Gon smiled. Then he turned around and cast his fishing rod out. With the rod, he grabbed Leorio's suitcase. Then Gon cast the fishing rod back to himself and grabbed the suitcase. Killua watched in amazement.

"That was really cool!" He said. Tenko barked in agreement. Gon smiled. "Thanks!" He said. Then the three ran to catch up with the rest of the exam applicants. "Hey, lemme have a go at that later." Killua told Gon. "Okay, but I wanna try you're skateboard, okay?" Gon asked. Killua nodded. "Sure."

After a while of more running, the group of applicants were running up a long staircase. Satotz looked back at the applicants. "We have arrived at the eighty kilometer mark, everyone," he announced. "How about we pick up the pace a little bit?"

Then Satotz started increasing his pace. His steps were getting wider. The applicants were a bit far behind him. "Wait, is that guy serious?" One of the exam applicants asked. "This guy is insane," Hanzo commented. "He's just prancing up the stairs like they aren't even there."

"If he keeps this pace up and further, a lot of people will fail." Gerreta said. 

While Gon and Killua jogged, the albino haired male suddenly got an idea. "Hey Gon, Yuki," he said. Gon and Tenko looked at Killua. "Do you wanna race and see who finishes first?" Gon grinned. "Sure!" Tenko barked. _'Sounds fun.'_ He thought to himself. "But the loser has to buy dinner." Gon said. Killua smirked. "Oh, you're on!" 

"Ready," they both said. "Go!" Then Gon, Killua, and Tenko all ran. Gon and Killua giggled as they ran. Tenko ran as fast as his small fox legs could carry him. He wanted this win this race

Meanwhile, Leorio was running as fast as he could up the stairs. He had taken off hi shirt so he wouldn't get as hot and sweaty as he did before. Sweat dripped down his face and he pumped his arms sharply as he ran. Kurapika was next to the tall brunette, running with him. "Leorio, are you alright?" The blonde asked.

"Of course I am," he replied. "I'm the same as before! I realized that if I focus and keep going, I won't worry about how stupid I look!" Then the brunette quickened his pace and ran up past Kurapika. The blonde Kurta smiled at Leorio. _'Perhaps I should probably do what he's doing.'_ He thought. Then Kurapika removed his blue and yellow cloak and shoved it in his bag. He was now in his underclothes, which were fine.

The blonde picked up the pace until he was back next to Leorio. "Leorio, I have a question," Kurapika said. "What's up?" Leorio asked. "Is this just too easy for you Kurapika? Talking just wastes energy." 

Kurapika ignored his comment. "Is it true you're just trying to become a Hunter just for the money?" He asked. Leorio's face expression went serious for a bit. "You aren't, are you?" Kurapika asked. "I know we've only been together for a few days, but I know you better than that Leorio." When the tall brunette didn't answer, Kurapika continued speaking.

"Sure, you've got a bad attitude, and you aren't as bright." The blonde Kurta said. Leorio clenched his teeth, offended by Kurapika's words. "But I know you aren't a shallow person," Kurapika said. "I have seen many people before who live for money and money only, and you're nothing like those people."

"Tch, you and your logic." Leorio said as he kept running. Kurapika sighed softly. Then he had an idea. "The Scarlet Eyes," he began. "That's the reason the Kurta Clan was targeted." Leorio tensed up. He seemed to be paying attention now though.

"The Scarlet Eye are a quite special trait of the Kurta Clan," Kurapika explained. "Our eyes can turn a fiery scarlet when our emotions are intense. The eyes in that red scarlet state are known to be one of the most seven beautiful colors in the world. Not only that, but they command quite high prices at the black market."

"So, that's why the Phantom Troupe attacked your clan?" Leorio asked. Kurapika nodded. "They took every single eye from my clans people's corpses." He said. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. "I can still hear their dark pupils crying out in agony and anguish. That Is why I swear to find and capture the Phantom Troupe. And then I will recover the eyes of the Kurta clan!"

Leorio looked at Kurapika for a while as he ran. "So, that's why you wanna be a Hunter?" The tall brunette asked. Kurapika nodded. "If I become a Contract Hunter with wealthy clients, I'll be able to get access to black market information." He explained.

"But then you'll have to swallow your pride and become the type of Hunter you hate." Leorio said. "The blow to my pride is meaningless to me, compared to the suffering my clan had to go through." Kurapika told him. Leorio was silent, but he kept running.

Meanwhile with Gon, Killua, and Tenko, the trio was still racing each other. They were getting a bit close to Kurapika and Leorio now. "Sorry, but I don't have any noble cause like you do." Leorio told the blonde. "What?" Kurapika asked. "I'm just after the money." Leorio said. 

Kurapika was getting fed up. "Don't lie!" He said. "I'm not!" Leorio shot back. "Do you really think you can buy everything in the world with money?" Kurapika asked. "Hell yeah I can," Leorio answered. "With money, not only can you buy treasures and things, but you can also dreams, hearts, and even the lives of other people!" Kurapika sighed under his breath, clearly annoyed now. "Take that back Leorio," he said. "If you're insulting my clan, I won't forgive you."

Leorio scoffed. "Why? I'm just saying the truth," Leorio shot back. "If I had money, then my friend wouldn't have died!"

Kurapika's eyes widened a bit. Then he looked up at Leorio. The tall brunette realized what he just said and looked away. Then after a moment of silence between the two, Kurapika decided to speak. "Was it from an illness?" He asked.

Leorio nodded a bit. "It was a curable disease." He replied. Then he gritted his teeth. He began to tell Kurapika about him and his friend. They were playing ball together, but then Leorio's friend didn't seem to look too well. Then he collapsed to the ground. 

"He could've been cured, but the problem was the operation for it cost a fortune," Leorio explained. "I was naive then. I thought I could be a doctor! I wanted to cure kids with the same disease my friend had, and be able to tell them that it was free of charge!"

"Then, I could've told my friend's parents that too," Leorio continued. "That was my dream." Tears were building up in Leorio's eyes and were threatening to fall. Then he sighed. "What a joke," the brunette said. "It turns out in order to be a doctor, you need an incredible amount of money!" When Kurapika didn't say anything, Leorio continued."You got it?" He asked the blonde Kurta. "The world just runs on money. That's the reason I want money!"

Kurapika looked at Leorio for a while. Then he heard heavy breathing, he looked over to his right side and saw Gon, Tenko, and Killua running together. Gon smiled at his friends. "We'll see you at the goal, Kurapika!" He said. Tenko barked. "We'll see you later, old man." Killua said

Leorio glared at the boy. "I'm not old," he said, offended. "I'm literally a teenager, just like you guys!"

If Leorio didn't surprise anyone before, he sure did now. Kurapika, Gon, Tenko, and Killua looked at Leorio like he was crazy. "What?" Gon asked. "No way." Killua said. Tenko barked in confusion. _'This guy can't be serious right now.'_ He thought.

It had been a little while, and the applicants were still running. Many had gotten exhausted and gave up. Some were walking now, but their steps were sluggish and they were out of breath. "I can't take another step." A male applicant said, falling to the ground. "T-this it it for me." Another said. Then he collapsed. Killua, Gon and Tenko ran past the two fallen exam applicants. 

"You know, I'm pretty impressed that you've managed to keep up with me, Gon." Killua commented. "Really?" Gon asked. Killua nodded. Then he looked down at Tenko. "Same goes for you, Yuki." He said to the fox. Tenko looked at the albino haired male and barked.

Then Killua saw another applicant collapse in exhaustion. "Then again, maybe it's just the fact that everyone else is too slow." He said. Then he hung his head. "Man, the whole exam is gonna be so easy," he groaned. "There's no fun in that." 

The Gon looked at KIllua. "Hey, why do you wanna be a Hunter, Killua?" He asked. Then Killua looked up. "Oh, me?" He asked. "I'm not actually really interested in becoming a Hunter." Gon raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" He asked. Admittedly, Tenko was confused himself. _'If he's not interested then why is he here?'_ He thought. 

"Actually, I heard the Hunter Exam was supposed to be pretty hard, so I thought it'd be fun to try," Killua explained. "But, it's pretty boring, so that's kinda upsetting." Then Killua looked at Gon. "So, what about you?" He asked the green haired boy. 

"Well, my dad is a Hunter," Gon explained. "So I wanna be a Hunter just like he is." Killua nodded in understanding. "What kind of Hunter is he?" The albino haired male asked Gon. "I'm not sure." The green haired male replied. Then after he said that, Killua started laughing. "That's kinda weird, you know!" He said in between laughs. "It is?" Gon asked, looking at the white haired boy.

Killua nodded. "You wanna be like your dad, but you don't know anything about him at all?" He asked. "I was raised by Mito, so I've really only seen my dad in pictures." Gon explained. "Who's Mito?" Killua asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, she's my aunt." Gon replied.

"Oh, okay." Killua said. Then Gon continued. "When my dad was twelve, he took the Hunter Exam too. He passed and became a Hunter. Then he left the Island. Now I wanan find out why he decided to become a Hunter instead of staying with me." Killua stared at Gon for a bit, then nodded.

Tenko realized that Gon's story about his dad was a bit similar to his own. The only flaw was that he was raised by his mom and Ms. Chishiki wasn't exactly the best person to grow up with.

Then the trio looked overhead. There was a light. "It's the exit!" An applicant said. "Oh, thank goodness!" Another one said. "Finally, I get to leave this long dark tunnel!" Another applicant said happily. Gon, Killua, and Tenko looked up at the exit, then grinned and ran forward quickly.

"Now, let's take a look on how many applicants have made it this far." Satotz said to himself. When he reached up to the top of the steps, he turned around and looked behind him. In a flash, he saw two kids and a fox run past him. "Goal!" Gon and Killua said in unison. Tenko barked and leaped forward with Gon and Killua.

"Yay, I won!" Gon cheered. "What do you mean? I was faster." Killua said. Tenko barked. "I was faster." Gon said. Killua scoffed. "No, I was!" He objected. Tenko barked at the both of them. _'I was faster than both of them!'_ He thought.

"I was faster, so you've gotta buy me dinner!" Gon said. "No way!" Killua argued. Satotz watched as the two boys and one fox argued.

"I was faster than you, so you've gotta buy me dinner!" Killua said. "But I was faster than you!" Gon objected. Tenko barked loudly. Killua looked down at the fox. "No way were you faster, either!" He said.

Then Gon, Killua, and Tenko turned to Satotz. "Hey, who was faster?" Gon asked him. "Honestly, I believe the three of you all crossed the finish line together." Satotz simply replied. "Oh," Gon said, putting a finger to his chin. "In that case, I'll buy you dinner, Killua!" Killua looked at Gon and raised an eyebrow. "Then you can buy me my dinner!" Gon said. "I don't get it." Killua said.

Then Killua looked down at Tenko. "So, does anyone buy him dinner?" He asked. Personally, Tenko didn't care about the dinner. He was just happy to be apart of the race. "I guess, we both buy him dinner?" Gon replied, shrugging his shoulders. It was honestly more of a question.

Then Gon turned to Satotz. "Hey, Mr. Satotz," he said. "Is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?" Satotz shook his head. "No, we still have quite a long way to go." He answered. "Oh, okay." Gon said. Tenko whined and laid down on the ground. _'Do we have to walk more kilometers?'_ He thought. The fox was getting sick of these long walks. Gon and Killua sat down on the ground and waited for everyone else.

Eventually, everyone reached the end of the stairs and got outside. There was bunch of fog around them. They were all quite exhausted. Leorio was staggering up the last couple of stairs. Quite worn out, he collapsed at the last stair. Then Kurapika appeared and walked up the last stair.

Gon saw the blonde and smiled. "Hey, Kurapika!" He called. Kurpika walked over to him. "Hey." He said. Then he looked around. "Have we reached our destination?" He asked. "Nope, not yet though." Gon replied. "I see." Kurapika said. Then he looked overhead. "The fog is lifting now." He said.

Gon stood up. "It is?" He asked. He looked up overhead, then smiled a big smile. The fog was clearing up, and it was getting easier to see their surroundings. They seemed to be in a forest.

"This is the Misty Wetlands, which is also known as Swindlers Swamp," Satotz explained. "We must cross these wetlands in order to reach the Second Phase of the exam. Keep in mind this place is home to strange creatures. Many of them are crafty, deceiving, and voracious animals, who trick humans and prey upon them, so I advise you to be careful as you follow me."

Then Satotz turned around to face the applicants. "Now, if you're tricked, you're dead." He said. Everyone looked tense at that. Then they heard a sound and turned around. The door behind them was closing. Then they looked inside and saw a man trying to run to the exit. The door was faster though, and it was closing on him. "Wait for me!" He said frantically. However, the door closed too fast. The rest of the applicants heard him cry in distress.

 _'Poor guy.'_ Tenko said, staring at the now closed door.

Satotz then continued on talking about the Misty Wetlands. "Now, these wetland creatures will tend to use every trick in the book in order to capture their prey." He said. This got the applicants attention. "This is an ecosystem in which creatures catch their food by the art of deceit," Satotz explained. "Hence the nickname Swindlers Swamp, you should follow me so you can avoid the deceit of these creatures.

Everyone stared at the examiner wordlessly. Leorio scoffed. "What a joke," he said. "How are they gonna fool us when we expect it?"

"Don't let them fool you!" A frantic voice said. Leorio gritted his teeth. "I just said that they can't." He said, rolling his eyes. Everyone watched, still confused about the voice. Then someone came out from behind a wall. He was beat up, with scratches and bruises on his body. His clothes were also torn. "D-don't fall f-for it." He said, his voice raspy.

"He's lying to you," He said accusingly, pointing a finger at Satotz. "I'm telling you, he's an imposter!" Satotz looked completely unfazed by this accusation. Tenko tilted his head at this guy. _'Does he even have proof?'_ He thought to himself.

"He's not a real examiner." the man said. Then he pointed to himself. "I'm the real examiner!" 

All the applicants were surprised and confused. "Wait, an imposter?" Leorio asked. "What's going on here?" Then the applicants looked at Satotz. "If he's not an examiner, then who is he?"

"Here, look at this." The scratched up man said. Then he pulled an arm from behind him. Then he fully revealed someone's badly injured body. But it wasn't just anyone, it was apparently Satotz. All the applicants gasped. _'Wait, what?'_ Tenko thought in disbelief. 

"Woah, he looks just like Mr. Satotz!" Gon said. Tenko looked up at Killua. He didn't look too convinced about this whole thing. "It's a Man-Faced Ape, and it's one of the creatures that roam around in he Misty Wetlands." The man explained. "A Man-Faced Ape?" Leorio asked in disbelief. Tenko tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at the so-called real examiner. 'Sounds deceitful.' He thought. Tenko knew a few things about trickery because the kitsunes he used to live with really liked trickery, and used it a lot.

"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of nice fresh human flesh," the man explained. "However, since they have thin limbs, their quite weak. That's why the disguise themselves as humans, so they can trick unsuspecting humans into following them into those wetlands. There, they team up with other creatures to kill and eat the humans!"

Then the man pointed at the so-called fake Satotz. "He wants to sweep up the entire Hunter Exam Applicant Pool!" He exclaimed. Leorio glared at the apparently fake Satotz. "Bastard." he said. "He really doesn't walk like a normal human either." Hanzo added.

Then suddenly, three cards glided threw the air and went right towards the man who was claiming his case. Two cards hit his chest, and the last one hit him straight in the face. Then as soon as that happened, three other cards flew right towards Satotz, who effortlessly caught them.

The man who gotten impaled with the cards collapsed on his back to the ground. Then the applicants looked at Satotz, who held two cards in his left hand fingers, and one in his right hand fingers. 

Then everyone heard cards shuffling. They looked around to see where it was coming from. Turns out it was Hisoka. He chuckled softly as he continued to shuffle his cards. "Ah, I see," he said. "That settles it, then. You really are the real one." He looked straight at Satotz as he said these words. The examiner looked unfazed and tossed the cards on the ground.

"Wait, so he is the real one?" Hanzo asked in disbelief. Killua rolled his eyes. _'Obviously.'_ He thought to himself. Tenko rolled his eyes. _'I knew it.'_ The fox thought. Suddenly, the Man-Faced ape opened it's eyes. Then in a quick action, it got up from the ground and swiftly ran away, bouncing away frantically. 

"Examiners are Hunters," Hisoka said, catching everyone's attention. "They're selected by the exam committee to carry out with this duty without any pay. A simple Hunter, which we all seek to become, would've been able to block my attack."

"I will take that as a compliment," Satotz said, gaining everyone's attention. "However, if you are to attack me again for any reason in particular, I shall report you for attacking an examiner, and you will be disqualified from this exam immediately. Are we clear?"

Despite that threat, Hisoka seemed unmoved. "Oh, sure." He replied. Then loud cawing was heard. The applicants turned around and saw some vultures flying towards the lifeless corpse of the examiner imposter. Soon, they all landed on the ground and began to feast. "Jeez, the laws of nature really are brutal." Leorio commented. Tenko understood this. He lived in the forest for almost a year and a half with his kitsune pack, so he understood nature's laws.

"So he really was a Man-Faced Ape after all." Kurapika said. "He had attempted to confuse you all," Satotz told the applicants. "He wanted to lure some of you away." Killua sighed. "I guess we can't be too careful." He said. "You're right." Gon said. Tenko barked softly.

"So, you all will be encountering deception like that on a regular basis." He said, walking past the applicants in the center. Then he stopped to look at the corpse that was a few feet away from the group. "I'm sure a number of you were fooled into doubting my identity." He said.

Leorio put his hand behind his head sheepishly. "Well." He said. Hanzo put his hand behind his head and laughed awkwardly. Tenko rolled his eyes.

Then Satotz turned around to face. "So, do you all understand this?" He asked. "if you lose sight of me in the Misty Wetlands, you'll never be able to reach the Second Phase of the exam. I advise you to keep that in mind. Now, let us be on our way. All of you follow me."

Then with that, Satotz turned around and started walking. Everyone ran to follow him, since he had wide steps, so he could walk longer than the others. Gon picked up Tenko and made the fox sit on his shoulder before they left. It was kinda good, since Tenko's legs actually hurt a little bit.

"Tch, another marathon." Leorio said with a scowl. "Except this time, we're traveling in marshlands," Kurapika told him. "Running on wet ground requires more energy than dry ground."

So far, it was now just 36 applicants, which was quite a drastic change from the number of applicants before. But that didn't matter. It just mattered that they'd get to the Second Phase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this!
> 
> (Even though I didn't end the chapter really well. Sorry😞)


	6. Devious Hisoka

It had been a while, and Satotz and the 369 current exam applicants were still running. They hadn't reached their destination yet, but they would eventually. And hopefully.

"Now, all of you please make sure to keep following close behind me," Satotz said to the group. Everyone ran behind the man, determined to get to their next destination for the Second Phase of the Hunter Exam.

As the applicants ran, the fog was getting thicker, so it was harder to see ahead of them. "The fog is getting thicker." Kurapika quietly commented. Leorio nodded in agreement.

They ran through the fog. As Hisoka ran, there were three other male applicants running behind him. They were watching him intensely. "All right guys," one of the men said. "Now, this is our chance." Three other man who were beside them nodded. "We'll take advantage of him with the fog." Another man said.

Hisoka didn't seem to notice or hear the applicants behind him. However, Killua did. "Hey, Gon." Killua said. Gon turned to him. Tenko turned to the albino haired boy as well, slightly curious.

"Huh?" Gon asked, looking at Killua. "Let's go up to the front more." Killua told him. Gon nodded. "Okay," he said. "We shouldn't lose our sight of Mr. Satotz." Killua hummed. "I'm just more concerned about increasing the distance between ourselves and Hisoka," he told the green haired boy. "Being too close to him is dangerous. I can smell it." Tenko sniffed the air. Hisoka was obviously dangerous. He saw that before the ran in the tunnels happened. 

Gon was confused. "Smell?" He asked. Then he sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything about him." He said. "Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon called. "Killua says we should move up to the front!" Tenko barked out for the two. Then Killua looked at Gon. "Hey, can't you feel the tension in the air?" He asked.

"Dummy," Leorio yelled. "If I could, I'd of been there already!" Then he rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about us, you guys!" Kurapika told them. "Huh?" Gon asked. Tenko barked in confusion. "C'mon Gon, Yuki, let's go." Killua said. Gon turned to Killua, who was already started to move farther. "Wait up, Killua!" Gon said, quickly going out to follow him.

Meanwhile, for Kurapika and Leorio, they were still running through the fog in the middle back area of the group. "We can't even tell which way we're going right now." Kurapika said. "It's fine," Leorio told him. "As long as we can still see the guys in front of us, we should be fine."

Then suddenly, the applicants were disappearing. Literally, the were just vanishing for some unknown reason. Leorio saw this and his eyes widened. He quickly stopped running. Kurapika saw this and stopped his movements as well. "What? What's happening?" Leorio asked in surprise.

Then, irregularly sized strawberries started appearing in front of Leorio, Kurapika, and a few other applicants they were with. "What is that?" Leorio asked. Then one of the applicants slowly walked past Kurapika towards the strawberries. Then, the man instantly fell to the ground.

Then Leorio heard frantic yelling. He looked up and saw the same applicant who fell down getting lifted up. He was inside some large, long necked, dinosaur/turtle looking creature's mouth, waving his arms around frantically. Not only that, but the creature had strawberries growing out of it's back. This creature is called the Noggin Luggin' Tortoise.

The applicants immediately ran away, screaming in fear. The creature wasn't done there though. After eating the other applicant, it reached out and grabbed another applicant in his mouth.

Kurapika and Leorio stood beside each other, amidst the chaos of people screaming and yelling. 'This looks really bad.' Kurapika thought. He backed up closer to Leorio, while Leorio backed up closer to Kurapika. You could say they were watching each other's back.

Then giant footsteps were heard. There were more of those giant tortoises approaching. One poked it's head out the fog and looked around.

Meanwhile, other applicants were running into the forest. Some of them stepped on mushrooms, but they didn't care. However, stepping on the mushrooms was a really bad idea. After someone stepped on one, the mushroom released a light yellow colored dusty fog from it's little blowhole. It started to spread quickly, which panicked the applicants. The mushrooms the applicants trampled are called Claymore Mushrooms.

This dusty smoke was making everyone panic and yell in fear, and most likely pain. The applicants eventually passed out from the yellow smog.

Meanwhile, some other applicants were running in a different direction, away from the mushrooms. Suddenly, small pinkish lights began to appear in the air. "Huh, what's that?" Someone asked. The things flew through the fog, getting closer to the applicants. It turns out they were pink butterflies. "Butterflies?" An applicant asked in confusion. 

These weren't just any butterflies though. They're called Hypnosis Butterflies. The butterflies began releasing a dusty pink smog, which fell onto the a few applicants. The smog was making the applicants feel dizzy and tired. The few applicants eventually fell to the ground, unconscious. Three other applicants ran past them, careful not to inhale the pink smog.

The fog was still around. It was now a bit thicker and it was really hard for anyone to see through it. Unfortunately for them, the Amori brothers got stuck in the fog by themselves. "Ugh, damn it," Imori said in frustration. "Which way are we supposed to be going now?"

"Did we lose sight of the examiner?" Amori asked. Then a clear and familiar voice was heard. It was Mr. Satotz's voice, as a matter of fact. "Now everyone," he said. "Please be sure to follow close behind me!" Umori turned to the direction of the voice. "He's over there!" He informed his brothers.

The Amori brothers ran in the direction that Umori informed them about, hoping to reach Satotz. As they ran, the trio heard distressed wailing. It was hard to see, but the Amori brothers tried to make out the shadows they saw in front of them. The shadows in front of the trio were running. Then, they disappeared with a fall, followed by a scream.

Imori's eyes widened as he saw what unfolded in front of him. Umori and Amori saw too, so the brothers then stopped running for a quick moment. Luckily they stopped at the right time, because they were standing right above a cliff. If they'd ran any farther, they surely would've fell, and then they'd have terrible consequences. 

The Amori brothers looked down the cliff and gasped. Down the cliff were large spikes, and people who'd fallen down were impaled by them. Suddenly, the Amori brothers were _very_ thankful they didn't run any further.

"Now, everyone please," Mr. Satotz's voice called out in the distance. "Caw! Be sure to closely follow behind me." Actually, this wasn't Mr. Satotz's voice. It was a bird mimicking his voice. This bird is known as the Ruse Raven. "Caw!" The bird called out again.

The Amori brothers looked up at saw this bird perfectly copying the examiner's voice. "So that bird can imitate human speech?" Amori asked. "Seems like it." Imori replied. "That was close, though." Umori told them. Imori nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was."

Meanwhile with Gon, Killua, and Tenko, they were still running. Except now, the were running alone. Tenko was no longer on Gon's shoulder. His legs were feeling restless, so he decided to start moving around.

"I can hear people screaming behind us." Gon commented. He looked a little worried. Tenko kinda didn't blame him there. They were running in thick fog, hearing people scream and not know where it was coming from, so the boy had every reason to be worried. "Don't worry, that only means we've gotta stay on guard." Killua told Gon. "I wonder if Kurapika and Leorio are alright." Gon said.

Then suddenly, Gon, Tenko, and Killua stopped running. Then the ground under them gave out. Gon and Killua screamed as the trio fell through. They didn't really fall into the ground though. They actually fell into the mouth of another strange beast. This creature is called the Frog-In-Waiting.

The giant frog got out of it's hole in the ground and waded away on it's small legs.

Meanwhile, Leorio and Kurapika were busy fighting off the Noggin Luggin' Tortoises. Leorio had lodged a tree branch into the creatures mouth. This angered the tortoise, and it lifted it's head up quickly. "Leorio!" Kurapika shouted. 

The branch inside the Noggin Luggin' Tortoise's mouth wasn't gonna hold up much longer. It was weakening more at the second and it could snap at any second. The tortoise swung it's head around, trying to get Leorio to let go. Leorio yelled as the giant beast swung him around left and right. Then Kurapika jumped high up in the air from his spot on the ground. He took his bokken swords and let himself lower from the air. He was headed near the tortoise's head, which was exactly where he wanted to go.

When Kurapika fell low enough, he attacked. He jabbed the creature's eye with his weapon harshly. The Noggin Luggin' Tortoise opened it's mouth and let out a loud wail of pain. Luckily when it opened it's mouth, it let go of Leorio's branch. Leorio fell down to the ground on his bottom. It hurt, but it was better than being with that huge beast. 

"Ow!" Leorio said, rubbing his bottom. Kurapika landed down onto the ground on both of his feet. "Leorio," he called, moving towards the tall brunette. "Now's our chance, so let's go!" Then he ran off. "Yeah, okay." Leorio said, nodding. He immediately got up and ran to follow the blonde Kurta.

As for the Frog-In-Waiting, it was still keeping Killua, Gon, and Tenko captive. Gon and Killua were looking around in the dark creature's mouth. Gon was trying not to panic and figure a way out of there. Thankfully, Tenko had night vision, so he was able to keep track of Gon and Killua. The fox had tried scratching at the creature's mouth with his claws, but they were too small. Plus, the beast didn't seem to feel the claws. 

Suddenly, the giant frog felt a bit sick to it's stomach. Then it widened it's cheeks to try and not throw up. Unfortunately for the Frog-In-Waiting, that tactic didn't work and it opened it's mouth and puked. Luckily, it puked out Gon, Killua, and Tenko, so they were safe now.

After hurling up two kids and a fox, the giant frog beast walked away, not wanting to bother them again. Tenko sighed and shook his body, trying to get the disgusting Frog-In-Waiting stomach fluids out of his fur. Gon laughed sheepishly. "I guess it didn't like the way we tasted." He said, putting a hand behind his head.

Then Killua dug into his pocket. "Actually, it was this." He said, holding something up. It was an open can of one of Tonpa's laxative juice cans. "Oh, that was from Tonpa," Gon said, pointing to the can. "I guess it really saved us there.

Killua tossed the can away. "Well, I could've escaped from that thing's mouth without it." He said. Then Gon looked into the distance. "I'm still worried about Kurapika and Leorio," he said, sighing. "I hope their safe." 

Then Killua got up. "C'mon, forget about them," he said. "Let's go. We can still make it right now if we hurry." Then the albino haired boy ran off. Gon got up and went to follow him, with Tenko running behind him. Then the green haired boy stopped running. When he stopped, Tenko saw and decided to stop as well, wondering what made Gon cease his movements.

Meanwhile with Kurapika and Leorio, they managed to successfully and safely get away from the Noggin Luggin' Tortoise. "We've lost sight of the front-running applicants." Kurapika said, looking around. "Which way should we go now?" Leorio asked. Then the brunette looked around. Suddenly he saw a familiar shadow. But then he realized it was familiar for a reason.

It was Hisoka.

Leorio's eyes widened. "Stop!" He whispered to Kurapika, holding his hand out in front of the blonde. The blonde Kurta looked up at Leorio in confusion. The brunette pointed over to an area. "Look over there." He whispered. Kurapika looked over to where Leorio wanted him to. When he did, his eyes widened at what he saw.

Hisoka was there, standing in the center of a few men, who were holding him at weapon-point. The magician didn't seem to be fazed at these men. "Hey, I've been thinking about this since last year," one of the men said. "That you're not Hunter material." 

Then another man held his weapon closer to Hisoka. "If you swear not to take the Hunter Exam ever again, we'll spare you." He said. Hisoka smirked. "Sure." he said simply. All the men surrounding him were confused. "Huh, what?" They asked in surprise and confusion. They didn't really expect him to be giving up this easily.

"I'm actually going to pass the Hunter Exam this year," the magician explained. "So there will be no need for me to retake it." One of the men moved his weapon closer to Hisoka. "Passing?" Another man asked. "You fool. Look at all this fog. It's pretty much impossible to find out where the main group went!"

The man who held his weapon close to Hisoka spoke. "That means we all have failed the exam!" He said. Hisoka softly chuckled. "Ah, so that's it," he said. "Having already failed the exam, you want to play as the examiner now?"

The men surrounding the magician tightly held their weapons, listening to what the man had to say. "Prey is vital for Hunters, you know," he explained. "So, why don't I play the examiner role now and judge whether you all are Hunter material or not?" Then Hisoka held up a card with two of his fingers and smiled at the men.

This angered the men. "Shut up!" One of them yelled. In a flash, all the men (except the one who yelled at Hisoka) moved to attack Hisoka. Hisoka didn't move, and didn't seem to care about the men coming near him with weapons.

In a flash, a series of events happened. Hisoka swung the card in a circle in a graceful ad somewhat slow pace. The men immediately froze in their positions. Then a gust of wind released around Hisoka. The magician flipped the card around to the opposite side in his hand.

Then, all the men collapsed around Hisoka, presumably dead. The man who didn't attack Hisoka gasped and his eyes widened. His face was shaking. Then Hisoka turned to the man. "Now then." he said, smirking at the man. The vulnerable man fell down on the ground on his bottom, body trembling. Then he turned around and started to crawl away. Hisoka started to walk towards the frightened man at a slow pace.

The scared man tried to crawl away faster. He probably would've got up and ran away is he wasn't so afraid. "H-help!" The poor man said, crawling desperately away from Hisoka. "Help!" He said again.

He was about to call for help a third time, but then he stopped. He stopped his movements, stopped his vocal cords from bringing out his cries for help, stopped everything. Then he collapsed on the ground face first. There were two cards lodged in the back of his head.

From the distance, Leorio and Kurapika watched the whole scenario, shocked by what they witnessed.

Hisoka walked up to the man's corpse and pulled the cards out of his head. Then his eyes moved over to the side of him. "Well then?" He asked, looking over to Kurapika and Leorio. The blonde and the brunette tensed up. "Do you care to play...examiner?" Hisoka asked the duo. Leorio and Kurapika stood where they were, not saying a word.

Meanwhile, Killua was still running to try and find the rest of the group. He never bothered to check if Gon or Tenko were there though. He ran through the fog until he saw something familiar. Then Killua smiled. He saw a bunch of people running together in the distance of the fog.

"All right," Killua said, relieved. "Okay, Gon and Yuki, we've caught up to the main group." Then he turned around to face Gon and the fox. The only problem there was that Gon actually wasn't there with him. Neither was Yuki. "Huh?" Killua asked, confusion in his voice. "Where'd they go?"

Meanwhile with Leorio, Kurapika, and Hisoka, the magician was walking over to the tall brunette and the blonde. Sweat ran down Leorio's cheek. Kurapika kept his eyes locked on Hisoka. 

"Leorio," Kurapika whispered. "On my signal, we'll run in opposite directions, okay?" Leorio turned a little bit to look at the blonde Kurta. "Huh?" He asked, no sure about following with Kurapika's idea. "He's more experienced in real combat than us. The two of us aren't gonna stand a chance against him, so we can't afford to waste time in a pointless fight." 

Leorio then turned to look at the dead bodies, which were laying a few feet away from Hisoka. Kurapika kept his eyes on Hisoka, waiting for a good time to run.

Hisoka then took out a card in two of his fingers and continued to walk towards to duo. Leorio kept his intense gaze of Hisoka. His teeth were gritted and beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

Then Hisoka stopped walking. He raised his hand up with the card. "Now!" Kurapika yelled.

In the nick of time, Leorio and Kurapika ran in opposite directions. The disappeared into the fog abruptly. Instead of going after them, Hisoka grinned. "Hm, I see," he said to himself. "What a smart move." Then he started to chuckle. The animals who were seemingly feasting on the corpses behind Hisoka looked up at the magician with fear, then scurried away.

Hisoka turned to walk away, but the stopped abruptly. He heard footsteps, so he turned around. Someone in the fog was walking towards him. Hisoka grinned. _'_

 _I just couldn't_ _do it,'_ Leorio thought. 'While this may not be my own fight, it's not my style to close my eyes and run away!" Kurapika, who was still running, looked behind him and his eyes widened. "Leorio!" He yelled. 

Leorio was running up to Hisoka. His weapon was a large stick. Hisoka smirked. "Oh, I adore that look on your face." He said, unmoved by Leorio's movements. The tall brunette yelled and ran at the magician and positioned his weapon in his hands, ready to swing.

Leorio reached Hisoka and swung the stick he had. Then something confusing happened. Hisoka disappeared. Like literally, he disappeared into a puff of smoke as soon as Leorio's weapon touched him. The brunette's eyes widened. "Huh?" He gasped.

Then Hisoka appeared next to Leorio, watching the brunette fall to the ground. The magician moved behind Leorio in slightly slow movements. Then he reached his hand out and was ready to grab him.

Suddenly, a fishing line bobber flew through the air and hit Hisoka straight in his cheek, preventing him from grabbing Leorio. Leorio fell to the ground. While the magician was focused on the pain in his cheek, Leorio looked into the distance. He saw two shadows, and they were both quite familiar. "Gon? Yuki?" Leorio asked in disbelief.

Gon started calming his breathing. "Did we get here on time?" He asked. Hisoka turned around to face Gon and Yuki. "Not bad, little boy." He said. Gon gripped his fishing rod firmly and Tenko growled. The furs on his back bristled up.

"Is that a fishing pole?" Hisoka asked. Tenko mentally rolled his eyes for a split second. _'Obviously.'_ He thought to himself. "That's quite an interesting weapon." The magician said. Then he looked at Tenko. "And is that a little protection companion you have there?" He asked. "How cute." Then Hisoka began to walk towards the duo. Gon gripped his fishing pole tighter than before. Tenko's ears went down and he began to bring his claws out.

"Why don't you let me see that little fishing pole," Hisoka said. "And maybe even that cute fox too." Gon gritted his teeth. Tenko felt a growl bubbling up in his throat.

Then Leorio began to stand up. "Your fight is with...me!" He yelled, running over to the magician to attack him. Then, as soon as Leorio got close, Hisoka whipped around and punched the brunette right in the face. It was a pretty hard hit too.

The second Hisoka had his back turned on Gon and Tenko, the two jumped up in the air. Gon had his fishing rod gripped in his hands, ready to swing at the magician. Tenko, on the other hand, had his claws out and teeth bared.

But, as soon as Gon's fishing rod and Tenko's right paw hit Hisoka, he disappeared again into a puff of smoke. Gon's eyes widened. 'Is he using some type of illusion?' Tenko thought to himself. As a kitsune, he knew a thing or two about illusions. What Hisoka was doing seemed to be an act of illusionary magic.

Gon and Tenko landed on the ground. Not too far away from them was Hisoka. "Are you here to help out your little friend?" Hisoka asked. Gon and Tenko quickly whipped around. Hisoka was right down next to them. Gon and Tenko swiftly jumped back.

"Such a good boy." Hisoka said softly, referring to Gon. Gon immediately turned around and swiped at Hisoka with his fishing pole, and Tenko swiped with his claws, but the magician disappeared again. Gon was in complete disbelief. _'How is he doing this?'_ He thought. 

"Oh I just love the looks on your faces," Hisoka commented. "You look so confused." Gon and Tenko were beginning to get sick of this charade. Gon gritted his teeth and swung his fishing rod repeatedly to hit Hisoka. jumping back at every swing. Tenko's teeth were bared and he released the growl he held in his throat. He jumped back along with Gon. Hisoka walked closer and closer to the duo, calmly dodging every one of Gon's attacks.

"How nice," Hisoka said, dodging another swing from Gon's fishing pole. "Quite nice." He smirked at Gon. "Now I'm getting excited." The magician said with a grin, dodging another attack. 

Gon glared at Hisoka. "Okay then." He said. Then he swung his fishing rod upwards and landed it straight for Hisoka. The magician was unmoved by Gon's launching attack and kept walking towards him and Tenko. The slip bobber of the fishing pole was getting closer to Hisoka. When it got closer down, instead of hitting Hisoka, it hit the ground in front of him. 

The magician stared down at the ground. Then Gon and Tenko appeared behind him. Gon was ready to strike Hisoka with his fishing rod and Tenko was ready to strike Hisoka with his claws.

When Gon's fishing pole and Tenko's claws almost hit the magician, Hisoka reacted immediately and grabbed Gon and Tenko by their necks. Gon's eyes widened and Tenko's body froze for a second. Gon dropped his fishing rod.

The green haired boy kicked his arms around, struggling in Hisoka's grip. Tenko thrashed around, trying to claw and bite at the magician's hand. Gon's hands grabbed onto Hisoka's arms and he kicked and squirmed, desperately trying to leave the man's grasp on his neck. Hisoka smirked at the boy and the fox struggling in his grasp, desperate for air.

"Oh, how marvelous." He said. Gon and Tenko's thrashing and struggling was getter weaker. The fox's attempts to bite Hisoka were getting weaker, and Gon's grip on the magician's arm started loosening. 

Gon's eyes had been clenched closed for a bit, but he opened one and looked at Hisoka directly in the eye. Hisoka had a look of sick enjoyment on his face. "I just adore the look on your face." He said. Gon started to grip Hisoka's arm tight, but it only lasted a second and his grip weakened entirely. His body went limp. Hisoka's eyes went from enjoyment to slight concern. Then the magician looked at Tenko. The fox had completely stopped trying to claw and bit at him and the fox's body had went limp.

The second Hisoka saw their bodies went limp, he dropped Gon and Tenko to the ground. Gon fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air. Tenko's body collapsed onto the ground and he started coughing, desperate to catch his breath.

Hisoka leaned down on his knees so he was at Gon and Tenko's level. "Don't worry." He said to the green haired boy. Gon opened one eye and looked at Hisoka. Tenko raised his head to look up at Hisoka, but then broke eye contact with him and looked down at the grass, still trying to breathe properly.

"I didn't kill your friend over there," he said. "He actually passed. Gon looked up at the magician, clearly confused. Tenko, who was finally breathing right, looked up at Hisoka with the same expression as Gon. Hisoka chuckled at the duo's confused faces. Then he smiled.

"You both pass as well," he said. "You go on ahead and become a good hunter." Then the magician turned of to Tenko. "And you, be a great companion for this boy." He said. Tenko glared at Hisoka for a second. He'd be more than a companion. He was gonna be a Hunter as well as Gon.

Suddenly, a beeping noise appeared out of nowhere. Hisoka reached into his pocket and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Hisoka, you should come back here," a voice said. "We're almost at the Second Phase site."

Hisoka put the walkie-talkie closer to him. "Alright, I'll be there soon." He said. Then he pressed a button on the device and put it back in his pocket, then stood up. Gon and Tenko watched the magician's movements. "It's good to have friends, you know." Hisoka said to Gon. Then he went over to Leorio and picked the passed out brunette up, draping him over his shoulder.

"Will you both be able to find your own way back?" Hisoka asked Gon. Gon silently nodded after staring at Hisoka for a moment. "That's a good boy." He said. Then without another word, he turned around and walked away, vanishing into the fog.

Gon tried to steady his breathing. Sweat ran down his forehead and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Tenko noticed how tense Gon was and wanted to do soemthing about it. The fox got up and walked in front of Gon and put his paw on the boy's hand. Gon looked down at Tenko, and then smiled a small, weak smile.

"Gon!" A loud and clear voice yelled. "Are you okay?" Gon turned around and looked behind him. Running towards him was none other than Kurapika. Gon felt a wave of relief rush over him and Tenko sighed in relief.

Meanwhile, at the Second Phase site entrance, Killua was looking around. There was still no sign of Gon and the fox. "Aw man," he said. "Gon really isn't here. Neither is Yuki." The albino haired boy looked at all the applicants. Minus the applicants who got left behind, pretty much everyone was there, except for Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, or Tenko.

Mr. Satotz looked down at his watch for a moment, then looked down the dirt road. There were a few applicants who were laid out on the ground, exhausted from more running.

As for Gon, Tenko, and Kurapika, they were running down the dirt path, trying to find their way to the Second Phase exam site. Gon and Tenko were using their great senses of smell to find the site area. Gon and Tenko sniffed the air, then Gon pointed to a turn on the path. "This way." He told Kurapika. The trio took the turn and ran down the path.

"You really can tell?" Kurapika asked as they ran. "Yep," Gon replied. "Leorio's cologne has a pretty unique scent, so I can smell him from a few kilometers away. Plus, Yuki can tell too, so he's helping out as well."

Then the three of them ran in silence. After a short while, Gon broke it. "Hey Kurapika," Gon said. "What did Hisoka mean when he said we all passed?" Kurapika took a moment to think about the boy's question. "Hisoka was probably playing the judge." He finally replied. Gon raised an eyebrow. "The judge?" He asked.

"Yes," Kurapika said. "Most likely, he must've been using his own standards for power evaluation. It's quite possible that he was measuring the strength of every applicant, like he did to you, Yuki, and Leorio. Apparently, you three all reached his standards."

Tenko felt like he understood it know, and Gon seemed too as well. Oh, I see," he said. "But me and Yuki were both powerless to against him." Kurapika looked at Gon. "But didn't you land your first hit on him?" He asked. Then he looked at the fox. "Plus, Yuki did give him a few scratches on his hand, right?"

"Yeah, but I only landed that hit because I surprised him," Gon answered. "Plus, Yuki got those scratches on him because his paws could touch Hisoka when he was choking him. And besides, even though Leorio failed, he passed too."

"Hmm," Kurapika hummed quietly. "Maybe Hisoka sensed that you were all parallel spirits." Gon looked at the blonde Kurta. "Parallel spirits?" He asked. Kurapika nodded. "I doubt that Hisoka himself could even pass as a Hunter. But, I have to admit, he did amaze me with his superhuman agility and graceful proficiency. It's fairly common those who possess special talents have their attention drawn to others with special gifts."

Kurapika continued to speak. "It's most likely that Hisoka's instincts and experience told him that you all had the potential and skill to become Hunters," he explained. "If he killed you all, it would've been a waste. At least, that might've been what he thought."

Gon was now walking ahead of Kurapika. The blonde noticed this. "Oh, I apologize," he said. "Was that inconsiderate on my part?" Gon shook his head. "No," he replied. "But honestly, I was pretty excited out there too." Kurapika was confused. "I was scared at there, and I really wanted to run away from it all," Gon explained. "But my body wouldn't let me. At the same time, I was pretty excited." Then he turned to Kurapika. "Isn't that weird?" He asked.

Kurapika stared at Gon, but didn't say anything. Honestly, Tenko had to agree with Gon. While he was afraid of fighting Hisoka and worried about the aftermath of it, he was excited too. He felt a boost of adrenaline run through his system back there, and it felt strangely good.

Meanwhile, at the Second Phase site, Satotz still stood at the dirt path. He checked his wristwatch for a bit. He was waiting for some people. Not just any people though. He was waiting for Gon, Tenko, and Kurapika. Unbeknownst to him, they were on their way and were almost there to the exam site.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try and update frequently with this book until I reach a far arc in it (like the zoldyck family arc or the heavens arena arc)


	7. The X Second X Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon, Kurapika, and Tenko make it to the Second Phase of the exam and get to participate with Killua and the rest of the applicants.

Eventually Kurapika, Gon, and Tenko found the Second Phase site. Almost everyone at the Second Phase of the exam were completely exhausted. They sat down and relaxed on the floor to try and get their energy.

"Looks like we've made it." Kurapika said. "Yep." Gon agreed. The trio ran to the crowd of exam applicants and looked around. "Leorio..." Gon said. Then suddenly Gon felt tense. He looked to his side and saw Hisoka about several feet away from him. The magician was leaning against a tree and was smiling at the green haired boy. Tenko noticed this and narrowed his eyes sharply at Hisoka. _'He's pretty weird.'_ He thought to himself. 

While Gon was still looking at Hisoka, the magician pointed to the left direction. Gon looked over there and saw Leorio laid down against a tree. He was awake now, and he was patched up and fine overall.

Gon's eyes widened. "Leorio!" He said loudly. Then he ran over to the brunette. Tenko followed close behind the green haired child. Kurapika turned around to see what Gon was talking about and Leorio. This prompted him to run over towards Leorio as well, and he did.

When the trio got to Leorio, Gon set the brunette's suitcase down next to him. Leorio rubbed his cheek in pain. It was all swollen and bruised, thanks to Hisoka. "Ow," the brunette groaned in pain. "Why am I beat up?"

Gon and Kurapika's eyes widened. Tenko was very confused. "I don't really remember anything." Leorio said. Then Kurapika leaned in next to Gon. "I advise that we don't tell him what happened." He whispered. Gon nodded and smiled sheepishly. 'Yeah, you're right." Gon agreed.

"Gon," a familiar voice called. "Yuki." Gon, Kurapika, and Tenko turned around. "Killua!" Gon said, happy to see the albino haired boy. Tenko barked and wagged his tail. Killua looked happy himself. "I can't believe you all actually arrived here," he said. "I thought you were all just done."

"Me and Yuki tracked Leorio's cologne." Gon said. Killua looked surprised. "By scent?" He asked. "I can understand the fox smelling the cologne, but you too?" Then the white haired child leaned in closer to Gon. "You're pretty weird."

"Amazing job everyone." Satotz said. Everyone turned their attention to him. "The Second Phase of the exam will happen right here in the Visca Forest Preserve," he explained. "So, I will be leaving. Best of luck to you all." Then with that, Mr. Satotz walked away from the big door and started walking down the dirt path. The applicants watched as he left. Then something made a sound. They all turned around.

The big door behind them was opening up. When it completely opened, a large house was revealed, but that wasn't all. Two people were sitting in front of the house. "All the applicants who've completed the First Phase of the exam, please come in." A woman said. She was seated in front of a large man. All the applicants walked through the gate.

"I'm Menchi, and I'm the examiner for the Second Phase." She greeted. Then the man behind her spoke. "I'm Buhara, and I'm also an examiner for the Second Phase." He said. The applicants stared at the two examiners, waiting for something they had to do. Then a large rumbling sound occurred.

Everyone looked around. "What was that sound?" An applicant asked. Menchi turned around and looked up at Buhara. "You must be hungry, right?" She asked him. Buhara groaned. "I'm starving." He replied. 

Then Menchi stood up from her chair. "There you have it everyone," she said to the crowd of applicants. "The Second Phase will call for..." Everyone waited for what she had to say. Some looked entirely serious and ready. "cooking!" Menchi said enthusiastically.

"C-Cooking?" Hanzo asked. He seemed to expecting something quite bigger. The applicants' serious expressions wore down to confused ones. "Wait a minute, we have to cook?" Todo asked in disbelief. He didn't look too happy. "We're here to be taking the Hunter Exam!" He said.

Menchi ignored the wrestler. "Your task for the Second Phase of the exam is to create a dish that'll satisfy our palate." She explained to the applicants. Todo was still visibly disappointed. "Why do we have to cook?" He asked in annoyance. "That's because me and Buhara are Gourmet Hunters." She replied. Todo looked confused. "What?" He asked.

Then he laughed. Some of the other applicants laughed as well. "Wow, what a letdown." An applicant said. "They're Gourmet Hunters!" Another applicant snickered. Tenko didn't see what was so funny. _'I don't see what's wrong with being a Gourmet Hunter,'_ he thought to himself. _'At least you get to be a Hunter generally.'_ Menchi looked frustrated with the applicants. She crossed her arms and sighed.

Satotz was watching the applicants up in a tree, which was near the gate to the Second Phase. He looked at Menchi and Buhara through his binoculars. "The Gourmet Hunters Menchi and Buhara," he said to himself. "Their selection as examiners could prove to be complicated. Only fifty applicants."

Then Satotz lowered the binoculars. "No, it depends on the task, and it's possible that less than ten applicants will pass the Second Phase.

Back at the Second Phase, some of the applicants were still laughing and snickering. "so, Gourmet Hunters, what do we have to make?" Todo asked with a smirk. Menchi opened her eyes and looked at Todo. "Buhara." She said.

When his name was said, Buhara stood up, making the ground tremble when one of his feet touched the ground. "The ingredient that you need is pork." he said to the applicants. "Pork? Like pig meat?" On of the applicants questioned.

Buhara nodded. "Any pig from the Visca Forest will suffice," he replied. "You'll use the cooking stations here to develop the pork, and you'll only pass if we both find your dish delectable." 

"Also, we'll be evaluating more than just the food's taste," Menchi said. "Don't diminish the intricacies of cooking. Understood?" When nobody answered her, Menchi continued. "When we both feel full, that's when the exam will end." She explained. "I get it, I get it," Todo said, waving his hand dismissively. "Let's just hurry up and get this over with."

"Alright then, the exam's Second Phase will start..." Buhara started. Then he put his hand up and lowered it onto his stomach, making it shake, causing the ground to shake as well. "Now!" He said. All the applicants quickly ran out to the gates and to the Visca Forest to look for pigs.

Menchi watched as the applicants left through the gates. "So, any pig will do?" She asked. Then she smirked. "You've got a real mean streak here." Menchi commented. "Picking out the ingredients was my job." Buhara told her.

Then Menchi turned around. "Isn't there only one species of pig in the Visca Forest?" She asked with a smirk. Buhara grinned and nodded. "I hope they don't get themselves killed out there." He said.

Meanwhile, the applicants were all in the Visca Forest now, looking for any pigs. "Hey, little piggy?" Hanzo called. The applicants searched behind trees, in bushes, and everywhere they thought a pig would be.

Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, and Tenko were away from the other applicants, searching for any pigs together. "So, we've just gotta catch a pig and then cook it," Leorio said. "This is way easier than the First Phase."

"I hope it'll be simple." Kurapika said. Tenko sniffed the air, trying to find any pigs through scent. Killua saw the fox doing this. "Do you smell anything, Yuki?" Killua asked. Tenko turned around and barked, shaking his head. He didn't catch a scent of any pig, but he kept trying anyway.

As they walked, Gon found a grassy slope. He smiled and jumped down it, sliding down. Killua saw this and grinned. 'Cool!' He thought. He jumped down the slope as well and slid down with Gon. Tenko saw what the boys were doing and decided it seemed like fun. He jumped down and slid down the slope with them on his stomach.

"Yahoo!" Killua shouted as he slid down. However, as he was sliding down, he noticed Gon had stopped. He had no control of his body, and yelled as he slid down. He them bumped into Gon with an "oof". Then Tenko slid down and saw that he was gonna bump into Killua. Unable to control the speed of his body, he yelped to try and get the albino haired boy's attention. Killua turned around and saw Tenko, but it was too late to get out the way. The little fox already bumped into him.

Before Gon, Killua, and Tenko could get up, someone else bumped into their bodies. It was Leorio. Tenko felt a lot of pressure on his small body as soon as the brunette bumped into him. Then Tenko felt even more weight and pressure directed onto his body when Kurapika bumped into Leorio. Now he was sandwiched between four people.

"Gon, what gives?" Killua asked. Then Tenko started to whine and bark in pain. Leorio noticed this and stood up, followed by Kurapika. "Sorry little guy." he said, bending down to pat Tenko's head. Tenko winced panifully while he stood up. Killua picked up Tenko and let the fox climb onto his shoulder.

Then Killua looked at Gon, who was still sitting on the floor. "Gon, what are you doing?" Killua asked loudly. "I found them." He said. Not really much of a reply to Killua's question though. Killua raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" He asked. Tenko tilted his head in confusion.

The Leorio looked over to the direction Gon was looking in and his eyes widened. "Pigs!" He said. Killua and Kurapika looked over to the direction Leorio was looking at. Sure enough, there were giant pigs with big snouts standing about a foot away from the quintet. The pigs were chomping down on bones.

"Hey, those pigs are eating bones." Leorio said, raising an eyebrow. Kurapika stared at the pigs, then tensed up a bit. "Wait, don't tell me..." Kurapika said. "They're carnivores?" One of the pigs looked at the group, then chomped the bone in it's mouth in half.

Then unexpectedly, the pig jumped up with it's snout in the air. It let out a loud snort, which sounded quite similar to the horn of a vehicle. Smoke came out of the giant pig's nostrils. Then the quintet decided that running would probably be the best idea right about now.

Gon, Killua, Tenko, Leorio, and Kurapika immediately jumped up and started running, Leorio being the main one yelling. It wasn't just one pig chasing them either. When the pig let out that loud snort, it attracted the other pigs.

Meanwhile, while the other applicants were still looking around for pigs, they heard a loud rumbling sound in the distance. They turned around and saw a brunette boy, and blonde boy, a green haired boy, an albino haired boy, and a fox running. Then they saw a stampede of giant pink pigs with big snouts chasing after them. The applicants gasped and quickly turned to run.

The pigs started headbutting the applicants with their large snouts. After seeing this, the quintet picked up the pace and ran faster. "These pigs are insane!" Leorio yelled.

Back at the area where the Second Phase was being held, Buhara was telling Menchi about the pigs the applicants were looking for. "Those pigs are called The Great Stamp, and they're the world's most aggressive pigs out there," he explained. "Their way of attacking and defending is their large, burly snouts to send their enemies flying. If you're too slow, you'll be their dinner." Menchi nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, the applicants were trying to fight off the pigs. Todo took out a huge rock from the ground and picked it up over his head. "Take this!" He yelled, throwing the giant rock at a pig. The Giant Stamp easily broke the rock with it's snout and continued to run straight at it's perpetrator. Todo's eyes widened. "What the?" He asked in confusion.

Hanzo threw two shuriken at a pig that was racing towards him. Unfortunately, the pig's snout broke the weapons easily and kept running at Hanzo. The ninja was surprised. "Huh?" He asked. The pig was close to Hanzo, but before it could hit him, the ninja jumped up into the air.

Gon was dealing with a pig himself. He jumped up into the air and gripped his fishing rod. He yelled as he dropped down to hit the pig. Unfortunately, the pig dodged Gon's attack and hit him with it's big snout.

Gon was knocked through the air, but only for a bit, as he managed to land on his feet onto the grass. Then he moved away as he saw the Giant Stamp running towards him. The pig didn't catch Gon, and instead hit a tree.

The pig's body tensed up and shivered. Then it backed up from the tree and turned to face Gon. It had a little scar on it's forehead. Gon gripped his fishing rod tightly in hand, ready to hit the large creature if it tried anything. But before the Giant Stamp could start running, an apple fell on it's forehead.

Then more apples fell onto the pig's forehead, making it collapse on it's belly. The Giant Stamp's snout lowered down. Then another apple fell on the pig's head, causing it to wail in pain and distress.

Gon was surprised by this. Then he had an idea. "Maybe..." He said. Then he jumped up into the air, towards the Giant Stamp. Then the green haired boy descended from the air and hit the pig straight in the forehead with his fishing rod. The pig snorted again loudly in more pain. Then it fell onto it's back motionlessly. The Giant Stamp was dead.

Killua, Kurapika, and Tenko turned around and saw what Gon did, then smiled. "So their weak point is their forehead." Killua said. Kurapika nodded. "So the pigs probably developed giant snouts to protect their soft foreheads.

Killua saw a Giant Stamp apporaching him. He jumped up and hit the creature in the forehead with his skateboard. Kurapika was dealing with a Giant Stamp too. He slammed his nunchaku onto it's forehead. Tenko heard a Giant Stamp coming towards him, so he leapt up and slashed the pig in the forehead with his claws.

The other applicants used the same strategy. Todo used his big elbow to slam a pig in it's forehead. Hanzo used his shuriken to stab a Giant Stamp in the head. The wails of pain coming from the pigs could be heard a mile away. In fact, Menchi and Buhara heard them. Then Buhara saw a big dust cloud coming towards the entrance.

When the dust started clearing, Menchi and Buhara saw the applicants carrying dead Giant Stamps. Buhara smiled and his mouth watered. Menchi was impressed as well. "Wow, they really got a lot of them." She said.

"Alright everyone, you've got your main ingredient," Menchi said, catching the applicants' attention. "Now you'll be using the cooking stations, where you'll have all the other things you require. Now get cooking!"

The applicants fired up their rotisseries and put the pig's on them. With Gon's help, Tenko fired up his rotisserie and used his tail (and some of Gon's help) to put the pig on the grill. Killua watched as this occurred. Then when Gon went to his grill, Killua leaned over to him. "Um, what's Yuki doing?" He asked. "Cooking." Gon replied. Killua gave Gon a weird and confused look.

"He's a fox, so he can't cook." Killua said in a matter-of-fact way. "He might," Gon objected. "He's done a lot of strange things a regular fox wouldn't do." Killua was confused and curious. "Like what?" He asked. 

"Well, when me, Kurapika, and Leorio were getting here, the boat that was bringing us the the exam got caught in a storm," Gon explained. "One of the crewmates almost fell out the boat, but I grabbed him. I almost fell out too, but Kurapika and Leorio grabbed my legs. Yuki used his tail to lift Leorio onto the boat, then he used his tail to lift me and Kurapika and the crewmate back onto the dock."

Killua raised an eyebrow at Gon's story. "You're kidding, right?" He asked. Gon shook his head. Then Killua glanced at the fox again. Tenko was now using his tail to spin the rotisserie stick to grill his pig. 

Then Killua looked at Gon. "What type of fox is he?" He asked. Gon shrugged. "I'm not sure, but maybe we'll find out." The green haired boy replied. Killua nodded and decided to go focus on his pig. Gon did the same.

Satotz was still up in the three, watching the applicants work. He was honestly impressed. "The applicants this year are quite skillful," he said to himself, looking at them through his binoculars. "However, the tough part is yet to arrive."

Todo placed his cooked pig on the table where Menchi and Buhara were seated. "Okay, just eat the pig and pass me." Todo said. Menchi sighed, not looking too interested. "Okay then, time for the analysis," she said. "Taste testing time."

Buhara immediately dug into the pork. He seemed really happy. As he ate, he held up a sigh with a red circle and a bell rang, meaning the food was good. Todo smirked and nodded. Then Menchi held up a sign with a blue X and the sound of a buzzer emitted. "Huh?" Todo asked. "It's overcooked," Menchi said simply. "The firm texture ruins the meat's taste.

"What?" Todo asked, distraught. "But you haven't even tasted it yet!." Menchi pointed her sign at Todo angrily. "I don't need to, because it's very plain!" She said. Todo sighed. "Damn it." He mumbled. Then he walked away, mumbling under his breath.

Then after the wrestler left, Hanzo walked up to the table and put his pork on it. "Alright, go ahead and dig in!" He said proudly. Buhara was the first to start eating. He held up a good sign and the bell sound came. Menchi held up a bad sign and a buzzer sound came.

Hanzo was surprised and confused. "What?" He asked. "But why?" Menchi waved her sign around. "Simple. It's to dry on the outside, and it's undercooked on the inside. Your grill fire was too strong." She explained.

Hanzo walked away, sulking. More and more people put their dishes up on the table. Buhara kept giving the food positive feedback, but Menchi kept giving the food negitive feedback. _'Ugh, damn,'_ Menchi thought. _'All their doing is roasting the pig, like it's the only thing they have to do. Nobody's made any effort at all.'_

While the applicants kept failing, Leorio, Gon, Kurapika, Killua, and Tenko watched. "Nobody's passed at all yet." Leorio said. 'Menchi hasn't even taken a bite yet, either." Kurapika added. While Buhara rubbed his belly in satisfaction, Menchi waved her sign around in frustration. "Hey, isn't there anyone out there who can please me?" She asked. 

Then Kurapika snapped his finegrs. "That's it," he said. "This exam phase is a cooking test, but they're judging us by innovation and powers of consideration." Leorio and Gon put their fingers up to their chins and grinned. "Ah, I see." Leorio said.

Then Leorio walked up to Menchi and Buhara and set his pork on the table triumphantly. Buhara looked excited, while Menchi looked bored. "How to you like my meal?" He asked.

Then Menchi threw the dish up the air. "What's this supposed to be, a kiddy meal?!" She asked in irritation. Buhara grabbed the pork before it fell to the floor to eat it. Then Gon walked up with his creation. His pig was adorned with cute pink flowers. "I'm next!" He said proudly.

Menchi roughly pushed the meal away. "This is basically the same as the other one!" She shouted. Buhara gladly took the pork though. 

Then Kurapika walked up to the table with his pig. "I'm next in line," he said. "Please judge my origination." Kurapika's pork was built like a sandwich. It had lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes in the centers."

Menchi took her fork and cut out a piece of the pork. Kurapika watched as she did this. _'The whole point of this is to use the ingredients provided and facilities to highlight the pork,'_ Kurapika thought to himself as he watched Menchi eat the pork. _'In other words, the taste of it is negligible!'_

"Ew!" Menchi yelled, throwing the plate of pork in the air. Buhara grabbed the pork quickly. Kurapika's eyes widened. "While the appearance is important, the food also has to taste good," Menchi explained. "You're no better than number 403!" Then she gave Kurapika the X sign, followed by the buzzer.

Leorio laughed as Kurapika went back to his cooking station. "Too bad!" He said to the blonde. "No better than number 403, huh?' Kurapika mumbled to himself.

Bones and skeletons of the pigs were piled up behind the two examiners. Buhara patted his enlarged belly. "That was great," he said happily. 'I'm stuffed." Menchi sighed. "Yeah, I am too." She said. Then she stood up. "So therefore, nobody passes," Menchi said. "We're done here!" This caused a ruckus between the applicants. "What?" One asked. "It's over?" Another asked in disbelief.

Satotz watched the applicants from up in the tree through his binoculars. _'As expected, Menchi's lapsed back into her bad habits.'_ He thought. Then the examiner took a phone out of his coat and dialed a number.

Satotz had called the chairman of the Hunter Exam and told him what happened. "Chairman, what should we do?" A small man asked. He was the green man back from the First Phase of the exam. 

"I guess I have no choice." The chairman said. Then he stood up from his chair. "Alright, we'll be going." He decided.

The applicants were angry and confused. "Nobody passed?" One asked. "What the hell?" Another said in anger. "She's gotta be kidding!" Another said. "Stop messing around with us!" A familiar loud voice yelled. Gon, Killua, and Tenko turned around to find the owner of the voice. It was Todo, and he didn't look happy at all. There was also a smashed table beside him.

"I've had enough of this bullshit," Todo said angrily. "I'm not gonna accept this." Menchi looked unbothered by the wrestler. "In the end, you still haven't passed." She said simply. Todo gritted his teeth. "Stop screwing around with us," he said. "You asked us to get you pork, and we risked our lives just for-" Then Menchi interrupted him.

"I told you all to concoct the meat in a way both of us found appetizing and nobody made anything remotely appetizing," she said. "Basically, you all did pretty much the same thing. Nobody put in any effort whatsoever. And just when I thought someone actually tried, they just changed the appearance of the food. Nobody tried to emphasize the food's flavor. I'm very sure that none of you took cooking seriously at all!"

Hanzo sighed. "Pork dishes are pointless no matter who cooks them." He said. This angered Menchi, and immediately went over to him and grabbed him by his red bandana. "Say that again, I dare you," she growled. "Anymore words out of you, and I'll shove my arm up your ass and knock you teeth right out of your damn mouth!" 

Buhara stared at Menchi as she yelled at Hanzo and sighed. _'There's Menchi's bad habit again,'_ he thought. _'Besides, there's just a handful of chefs in the whole world who can satisfy her.'_

After Menchi was finished dealing with Hanzo, she sat back down. "Okay, in other words, you all don't have the guts to try anything now." She told the applicants. Todo growled. "Just shut up already," he said, pointing a finger at Menchi. "I'm not trying to become a gourmand or a chef. I'm trying to become a Hunter!" Then he raised his fist up into the air.

Some of the applicants did the same, raising their fists and agreeing with Todo's statement. "My goal is to be a Black List Hunter, and I'm not gonna have a Gourmet Hunter choose my destiny." The wrestler explained.

Menchi looked unmoved. 'Well, too bad you ended up stuck," she said. "Maybe you'll have better luck next year?" As soon as the examiner said these words, Todo's eyes widened. His face turned red in anger. He gritted his teeth and glared at Menchi. "Why you..." He said.

Then he balled his hand up into a fist and charged at Menchi. "Don't play with me!" He yelled. However, before the wrestler could hit Menchi, Buhara stood in front of her and punched Todo. Since the punch was powerful, Todo flew through the air for a while. Then he hit one of the walls and bounced off of it, falling to the ground.

The applicants were surprised by what Buhara just did. Gon and Tenko were in awe. Kurapika was surprised himself. Leorio was surprised and also made a mental note to to get on Buhara's bad side. Killua himself was also taken aback.

Menchi turned to look at Buhara. "Buhara, that was unnecessary." She said. "Well," he said. "If I hadn't stepped in, you most likely would've killed him, right?" Menchi got up from her seat. "Probably so." She replied. She had two big knives in her hands. "Let me make this clear," Menchi said as she walked down the steps. "Buhara and I routinely travel into the dons of predatory creatures, looking for ingredients."

Menchi flipped the two knives in her hands. Then she started to juggle them "Every Hunter has some martial arts knowledge," she said, juggling the knives with effort. "You all lack the focus and the willingness to experiment. That alone disqualifies you all from becoming Hunters." She stopped juggling the knives. Then she revealed them as four knives.

The applicants stared at Menchi, looking worried. Kurapika and Leorio closed their eyes. They were probably thinking. Killua had his eyes closed as well. Tenko couldn't read Gon's look very well. Tenko himself was a bit worried himself. 

Hisoka grinned at Menchi. Then he silently pulled out a card, looking ready to throw it. "Even so," someone said. Hisoka didn't throw his card, but looked up. Everyone else looked up as well. "Don't you think it's a bit excessive to fail a whole pool of applicants?"

Up in the sky, there was a big, blue blimp. It also had the Hunter Association logo on it's side. "Hey, that's the logo for the Hunter Association!" Leorio said as he pointed up to the blimp. "Is it someone from the exam committee?" An applicant asked.

Then, someone jumped out from the blimp. They landed onto the ground harshly, making a small rocks from the ground and a big dust cloud form around them. While the dust cleared, the applicants tried to see what they saw before more clearly. It was an old man with a long beard and his hair was in the style of a pony tail. He wore a kimono like outfit. 

The dust finally cleared, and the elderly man stood in the center of all the applicants. "Who's the old man?" An applicant asked. Menchi walked up to the man. "The head of the Exam Council, and he's in charge of the Hunter Exam," she explained to the applicants. "He goes by Chairman Netero."

"Well actually, I work behind the scenes," Chairman Netero said. "The only times I take action is when there's an issue, like right now, for instance." Then Netero looked at Menchi. "So, Ms. Menchi." He said. "Yes, sir?" Menchi asked, standing still and straight.

"Did you see that these applicants lacked the will to challenge the end and that's why you failed them all after your test?" Netero asked. "No," Menchi replied. "I lost my composure when one of the applicants had offended Gourmet Hunters." The she pointed to Todo. The wrestler was still on the ground, injured and bruised up pretty badly.

"That made me make the test more difficult than it should've been." Menchi said. "So in other words, you're fully aware that your test was deplorable right?" Netero asked her. Menchi nodded and bowed. "Yes, sir," she replied. "When it comes to cooking, I lose my control. I've failed my job as an examiner."

Then Menchi straightened up and stood properly. "Therefore, I'll stand down, so please restart the Second Phase of the exam!" She said. "But then it would be complicated to find another examiner for this phase at such short notice." Netero objected.

Menchi bowed again. "I'm very sorry." She apologized. Then Chairman Netero held up a finger and smiled. "Okay then, what about this?" He asked. Menchi stood up and looked at the chairman. "I'd like to you proceed in fulfilling your job as an examiner," Netero said. "But, you'll have to partake in the new test you initiate." Menchi's eyes widened a bit at this.

"Is that okay with you, Ms. Menchi?" the chairman asked the examiner. "I'm sure that'll help the applicants be accepting of their results." Menchi smiled and nodded. "Okay then," she said. "The new challenge shall be on making boiled eggs!"

A ruckus began within the pool of applicants. "Boiled eggs?" One said in disbelief. Menchi ignored them though. Then she turned to Netero. "Chairman, could you please take us all to Split Mountain on your airship?" Menchi asked. "Split Mountain?" He asked the examiner. "I see where you're going with this, and I think it'll be very good."

After getting Bean to bring down the airship, the applicants entered the airship. It took a while, but the airship eventually got to Split Mountain. When the applicants exited the airship, they saw a big crack in the mountain and looked down through the crack. 

"Okay everyone," Menchi said. "Look closely down the cliff." The applicants did this and found something strange. There was something web-like down the cliff. "What's that?" An applicant asked. "That's a Spider Eagle's web." Menchi replied.

"They build their webs down there?" Gon asked. Then suddenly, a gust of wind blew up from the crack in the mountain. The gust of wind was strong enough to make some people (like Todo) fall onto the ground behind them.

"Now, look down there under the web." Menchi instructed the applicants. The group obliged and looked down. Sure enough, they saw something. "Those are..." Gon started to say, a bit unsure of what they were. "Those are Spider Eagle eggs." Menchi told the applicants. "The reason Spider Eagles build their webs down in deep ravines like this one is to protect their eggs from the predators above their home," Netero said. "This is why Spider Eagle eggs are one of the most complex ingredients to acquire."

"The Spider Eagle eggs are also known as dream eggs." The chairman added. Todo now had a worried expression of his face. "H-hold on," he said. "You aren't saying we have to..." the wrestler didn't finish his sentence. "I sure am!" Menchi told him. "W-wait, what?" Todo asked, worry evident in his tone.

Menchi walked over to the edge of the ravine. Then she spread her arms out and jumped down. When she fell down, she grabbed hold of one of the web strands. Then Menchi bounced off of it and swung around, then successfully grabbed the web strang again.

A majority of the applicants gasped. They had worrisome expressions on their faces. Menchi looked down below her and saw a bundle of eggs. She took a deep breath. 

Leorio, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Tenko looked down at the examiner. "Even if she does grab some of those eggs, how is she gonna come back up here?" Leorio asked. Menchi stared down at the eggs. Then a short moment later, she let go of the web strand. Leorio gasped. Todo gasped as well and covered his eyes.

Menchi fell down towards the bundle of eggs. When she got close enough, she grabbed one. Although, she never stopped falling down. "Hey, she jumped down," Leorio said. "Is she trying to get herself killed?"

"No, you're wrong." Kurapika said. Leorio turned to look at the blonde. "What?" He asked in confusion. Kurapika kept looking down the ravine, so Leorio decided to do the same. After a few moments, a gust of wind blew up from the ravine, just like it did before. The gust of wind also brought Menchi back up.

Gon, Killua, and Tenko looked up at her in awe. "Wow!" Gon said. "That seems like fun." Killua added. Tenko wagged his tail.

"This ravine has updrafts, which are used to help the newly hatched chicks fly up to the web." Netero remarked. Menchi finally got both of her feet onto the ground and held out her egg. "There," she said triumphantly. "Now all that needs to be done is to boil the egg." Todo, who was standing next to Menchi, stepped away from her. "You can't be serious," he said. "No way any sane person would jump down there!"

"I've been waiting for something fun like this!" A voice said excitedly. Menchi and Todo turned away to look where the voice came from. When they saw, they gasped.

Gon, Killua, Tenko, Leorio, and Kurapika had all jumped from the edge of the ravine and down to the web. Their actions convinced some of the other applicants to follow along. "Alright then, count me in!" Hanzo said boldly. Then he ran off and jumped off the edge. Gerreta, followed by other applicants, followed Hanzo.

"Wait, everyone!" Menchi said. She looked worried. "I haven't explained everything to you yet!" She went over to the edge and looked down. All the applicants who jumped down were hanging onto the strands of webbing. One of the applicants swung on his web for a little, then let go. "See you guys later!" He said as he dropped down.

Leorio, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Tenko watched as the man fell down. "Should we go down too?" Leorio asked. "Don't let go yet." Gon told the group. Leorio looked over to the green haired kid. "Wait, why not?" He asked.

"There's not wind right now," Killua replied. "There isn't always an updraft." Killua watched closely as the man who fell down earlier now hand an egg in his hand. The applicant seemed proud of himself. Then he realized he was still falling down and no updraft was picking him back up. He yelled in distress as he fell down into the ravine.

"So when's the next updraft gonna happen?" Leorio asked. "Just wait a minute." Gon said. Then he closed his eyes. Kurapika, Killua, Leorio, and Tenko looked at the boy. Some of the other applicants looked Gon's way as well.

Menchi and Netero watched the applicants down in the ravine and smiled. Gon's nose twitched a little. Then suddenly, a strand of the web began to weaken a bit, bringing the group down a little. "What's happening?" Leorio asked, alarmed. "The web isn't gong to be able to hold us all!" Kurapika said, looking up at the web strand he was holding onto.

"No wind yet, Gon?" Killua asked, looking over to the green haired kid. Tenko barked and looked at Gon as well. Gon was unresponsive, and his eyes were still shut. The web strand was getting weaker and turning thinner.

"Damn it, I can't wait for an updraft any longer!" An applicant said impatiently. Then he let go of the the web and fell down. A few other applicants followed his lead and fell down as well. Eventually, they fell deep down into the ravine. Their screams sounded like they regretted their decisions.

The web strand had gotten insanely weak now. It was very thin and looked like it would snap at any minute. "It's gonna snap!" Leorio said.

Then Gon immediately opened his eyes. "Now!" Gon said. Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, and Tenko let go of the web strand and fell down. The rest of the applicants followed the quintet's actions.

Almost simultaneously, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tenko grabbed an egg. Tenko managed to successfully grab an egg with his paws. After all the applicants grabbed an egg, they fell down into the ravine, disappearing into the fog. Netero saw that they weren't coming back up and his eyes widened. Then he felt wind hit his face.

A huge gust of wind was blowing upwards from the ravine. The first to appear were Kurapika, Gon, Leorio, Killua, and Tenko. They all had eggs with them. The quintet eventually reached the ground, feeling proud of themselves. Eventually, more applicants were brought up by the same gust of wind.

Chairman Netero smiled at Killua, Leorio, Gon, Tenko, and Kurapika and chuckled to himself. Menchi smiled, then looked over to the applicants who didn't go down to the ravine. Todo was one of them. "What about you guys?" Menchi asked. The applicants stood there, looking embarrassed that they didn't have the guts to go down the ravine like the other applicants did.

"I guess you're giving up, huh?" The examiner asked. "It takes a great deal of courage to concede too, you know." The Chairman inquired.

The applicants filed back onto the airship, then flew back to the Second Phase site. All the Spider Eagle eggs were put into a large pout and were now boiling. After a while, they were finally done and edible. The applicants happily munched on their boiled eggs.

"This egg is really good," Hanzo said after taking a bite. "It's way better than the ones you'd buy at the store!"

KIllua, Kurapika, Tenko, and Leorio were munching on their eggs together. "Yeah, this is really good!" Leorio said. He took a big bite of his egg. "I can nderstand why they're called dream eggs." Kurapika remarked.

Todo watched as the applicants ate their fill. "Hey, Mr. Todo!" A voice said. Todo turned around and saw Gon. The boy was holding a boiled egg in his hands. "Why don't you have a bite?" He offered, gesturing the egg towards the wrestler. Menchi saw what Gon was doing and smiled.

Todo accepted the egg and took it. He took a bite out of it and chewed for a bit. Then he swallowed and his eyes widened. "It's delicious!" Todo said."The joy you receive when discovering something that tastes delicious." Someone said. Todo looked in front of him and saw Menchi walking up to him.

"I really hope that you get a small flavorful taste of it," she said. "Besides, us Gourmet Hunters are risking our lives out there to get that delicious joy." Todo was silent for a moment. "I was totally surpassed this year." He said. Then Todo bowed. "I'll definitely be back next year!" He promised. Menchi smiled at Todo, then nodded.

Gon smiled brightly. He was happy that he managed to get the two to come together instead of go against each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! And happy Valentines Day as well💖


	8. The X Airship X Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chairman Netero challenges Gon, KIllua, and Tenko to a skill game. Apparently, if they win before the airship arrives at it's destination, the Chairman will make them Hunters.

It was getting late now. The applicants who passed the Second Phase got on Netero's airship. The airship was going to bring them to the Third Phase of the exam.

The applicants had all been gathered in a room. The Chairman and his assistant stood in front of them all. "Allow me to properly introduce myself to the current remaining applicants," he said. "My name is Netero, and I am the Chairman of the Selection Committee for this year's Hunter Exam."

"I am the Chairman's secretary, Beans." The secretary said, smiling at the applicants. "Initially, my plan was to make my appearance during the Final Phase of the exam," Netero explained. "But since I'm here already, I'll be accompanying you for some time."

Gon looked around at the applicants for a bit, Killua yawned in boredom, and Tenko felt like sleeping on Gon's shoulder. "For now, enjoy this nice tense atmosphere." Netero said, chuckling. "We're scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning at 8 AM," Beans told the applicants. "If you go to the dining hall, you'll find dinner waiting for you. Also, feel free to get some rest. Please feel free to do whatever you wish until you're called."

Killua smiled and turned to Gon and Tenko. "Gon, Yuki," he said. "Let's go explore the airship together!" Gon smiled and nodded. "Okay!" He said. Tenko barked happily and jumped off Gon's shoulder. Then the three of them ran off.

"How can they have so much energy?" Leorio asked, staring at the trio as they ran off. "They're young, Leorio," Kurapika replied. "What did you expect?" Leorio put his hands in his pockets and slouched. "Well, I'm hitting the sack." He decided. Kurapika nodded. "You can say that again," he said. "But, I do have a concern." 

"Hm, what's that?" Leorio asked as the two walked together out the room. "How many more phases are there, as of now?" Kurapika asked. Leorio stopped walking. "Oh, I guess the never mentioned that before." He replied, putting a finger up to his chin.

Then Tonpa walked up to the brunette and the blonde. "There are five to six phases on average." He told them. Kurapika and Leorio turned around to acknowledge him. "Well, I guess that means we've got three or four more phases to pass through." Leorio said.

"That gives us a bigger reason to rest now." Kurapika inquired. Then the blonde Kurta and the tall brunette turned to walk away. Tonpa smirked. "However, you should be careful." He said. Leorio and Kurapika stopped walking and turned around to face him. "What?" He asked.

"The secretary only told us when we'd be arriving at our destination, but he never said where the Third Phase would be," Tonpa explained. "For all we know, the Third Phase could be on this airship. It also doesn't certainly mean we'll be contacted at 8 AM."

Leorio was surprised. "Huh, are you being serious?" He asked. Kurapika put a finger up to his chin. "Well when you think about, it does make a little sense." He said. "Who knows, you might just wake up and the exam will already be over," Tonpa said, holding up a finger. "If you wanna make it through the Third Phase, don't let your guard down. Not even on this airship."

Leorio put his hands in his pockets and scoffed. "Tch, what the hell..." He mumbled. Then he looked at Tonpa. "Thanks, that was some great advice." He told the man in blue. Then he turned around and waved his hand. "See ya." He said.

"We'll be bearing that advice closely in mind." Kurapika said, turning around to follow Leorio. Tonpa smiled. "All of us should do our best!" He said, walking away. Then he stopped walking and smirked. _'Yeah right,'_ he thought. _'Here's to hoping that you're both so anxious tomorrow in the morning.'_

Leorio and Kurapika got to a resting room in the airship. Leorio closed the door and sat down, Kurapika doing the same. _'There's not a chance that the next phase of this exam_ _will be held on the airship,'_ the blonde thought to himself. _'If that was their objective, then they wouldn't have told us we could do whatever we pleased. They would've told us to stand by instead.'_

Then Kurapika heard snoring. He turned to his side and saw Leorio slouched against the wall, fast asleep. Kurapika chuckled softly.

Meanwhile, the examiners were in their own room, chatting over dinner. "Hey, how many applicants do you think will make it through this?" Menchi asked. Buhara looked at her. "You mean the exam?" He asked. Menchi nodded. "Yep," she replied. "We've got some really talented and impressive applicants this year, although I did fail all of them at one point."

"But doesn't it rely on what the next phase consists of?" Buhara asked. "Yeah, that's true," Menchi replied, picking another piece of food on her plate. "But did you notice during the test that a few of them had some really strong auras." Then the turquoise haired woman turned to Satotz. "What do you think, Satotz?" She asked him.

Satotz put down his knife and fork. "Well, yes," he replied. "I admit that I've taken a liking to the rookies this year as well." Menchi smiled. "Oh, so you agree?" She asked. Then she put another piece of food in her mouth and chewed. Then Menchi swallowed her food and put the fork down. "I think number 294 has a good shot." She said.

"I have partial beliefs to number 99." Satotz inquired. "He seems arrogant and selfish to me." Menchi said. "What about you Buhara?" 

"Well, he's not a rookie, but I think number 44 is gonna make it," he replied. "I'm sure you noticed Menchi, but when number 255 was freaking out, number 44 was radiating the most intense and stiff bloodlust."

Menchi nodded. "Oh yes, I noticed that," she said. "He could barely even control his bloodlust. Did you realize that he was already like that from the first minute we made our appearance?" Buhara was surprised. "He was?" He asked. The turquoise haired woman nodded. "Yep, that's why I was so edgy," she explained. "He was provoking me."

Satotz guided his teacup away from his lips. "Frankly, I had a similar experience," he remarked. "Number 44 should be carefully monitored. Although it pains me to admit this, we're birds of a feather with him."

"But, his connection for darkness is quite stronger," Satotz said. "As Hunters, we are constantly seeking out worthy opponents. Eventually, the Hunter Exam is but a place to find challengers who are worthy of respect."

Satotz continued to speak. "And every once in a while, us examiners encounter a person who bursts forward when we try to slow things down," he explained. "An abnormality of sorts."

Menchi nodded in understanding. That made a lot of sense. Then she decided to speak. "Honestly, I'm a little confused about one of the applicants." She said. Buhara and Satotz turned to her. "Who?" Buhara asked in curiosity.

"Number 406, that fox," she said, putting a finger to her chin. "Don't you think it's weird that an animal is participating in the exam?" Buhara nodded. "Yeah, it is," he replied. "But that fox isn't normal."

Menchi raised an eyebrow, and Buhara decided to keep speaking. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but when the applicants came back with the pigs, that fox was holding one with it's tail." He mentioned. Menchi snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah, I remember that," she said. "I also recall the fox using it's tail to use the rotisserie. It seems to use it's tail for a lot of things. But I still don't know why an animal is partaking in the Hunter Exam."

"Number 406 isn't just a fox." Satotz suddenly said. Menchi and Buhara turned to him. "What do you mean, Satotz?" Menchi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When the new applicants arrived, I had a chat with someone," Satotz explained. "He was the son of some Kirikos. He told me that the fox was more than just a regular fox." Menchi was confused. "That's weird," she said. "Did he tell you anything else about number 406?"

"No," Satotz said. "I informed the Chairman about number 406, but he told me not to remove the fox from the exam. He told me to let number 406 keep taking the exam." Buhara raised an eyebrow. "That's really confusing." He said. The examiners decided to switch the conversation to another topic regarding the exam.

Meanwhile, the airship had been flying for a while. The applicants were walking around the airship, looking for things to do. At some point, Gon, Killua, and Tenko decided to go to the kitchen and explore, but they were only tampering with things and messing the kitchen up.

A chef opened the door to the kitchen "Hey brats," he unfriendly voice said. "Stay out of the kitchen!" Then he threw the trio out. Literally. Luckily, the three of them snatched up some meat before they were kicked out.

As the three walked out, eating their sticks of meat, something caught Killua's eye. "Wow," he said suddenly, running over to the window. "Gon, Yuki, look!" Gon and Tenko ran over. "What is it?" Gon asked curiously. Tenko jumped up onto the windowsill.

What Killua saw was the city in the night. The city lights shimmered beautifully down from the ground. Gon's eyes widened. "Woah," he said excitedly. "They're kinda like jewels!" Killua nodded. "Yeah, they are!" He said. Tenko pressed his face up to the window and looked at the sight before him intently.

After gazing at the city in awe, the trio stayed at the window. "Hey Killua," Gon said, striking up conversation. "I was wondering about something." Killua looked over at the green haired boy. "Hm?" Killua hummed. "Where are your mom and dad?" Gon asked curiously. Killua was silent for a moment. "Hmm...they're alive," the albino haired boy finally answered. "Or at least probably."

"What did they do?" Gon questioned. "They're assassins." Killua replied simply. Gon's eyes widened. Tenko, who was ready to nap, perked up at Killua's answer. Gon looked over at Killua. "Huh? Both of them are?" He asked. KIllua looked at Gon for a moment. Then he laughed.

"That's your first reaction?" Killua asked through laughs. Gon and Tenko tilted their heads in confusion. "Wow, you really are a riot!" Killua declared. "Huh?" Gon asked in confusion.

Gon and Killua sat down on the seats in front of the window. Killua was still smiling. "You're actually the first person who's ever seriously responded like that." He chuckled. "Well it's true, isn't it?" Gon asked. 

"What makes you think that?" Killua asked. Gon shrugged. "Just a hunch." The green haired boy replied. Killua sighed and laid his head down on the table. "Well that's just weird," he remarked. "Part of my charm comes from never letting on whether I'm being serious or not."

"The thing is, I'm from a family of assassins," Killua explained. "They're all assassins. My family has really high hopes and expectations for me, but I hate it. Besides, who wants to have their life planned out for them?"

Gon and Tenko listened intently. Tenko had to admit that Killua's family was similar to his mother. Tenko's mom wanted him to succeed really badly, so she trained him. Tenko was one hundred percent sure that his older siblings went through a lot of training as well.

"When I told my family that I wanted to decide my own future, they all completely freaked out," the albino haired male said, rolling his eyes. "My mom was crying nonstop as she told me I have the possibility to become a top assassin!"

Gon couldn't help but chuckle. "They're terrible parents, aren't they?" Killua asked him exasperatedly. "Besides, it's natural that their kid would go bad. Anyway, we wound up fighting, so I slashed my mom in the face, stabbed my brother in the side, and ran away from home, so now I'm here. I'm pretty sure they're pretty stirred up right now, but if they find me, I'll be sending them packing."

Gon chuckled again. Tenko was surprised by the fight Killua had with his family. A heinous voice in the back of his mind kept telling Tenko that he should've stabbed or slashed his mother if he'd had the chance. But what's done is done. Tenko had already ran away, and he sure as hell wasn't ever coming back.

Then Killua stood up from his seat with a imaginitive and dreamy look on his face. "When I become a Hunter, I'll start out by capturing my family," he interpreted. "I'm pretty sure their worth some huge bounties." Gon laughed and sheepishly looked at Killua. Tenko snickered.

Meanwhile, Chairman Netero was walking around the airship. He turned the corner and saw Killua, Gon, and Tenko. He looked at the three of them, then smirked. Then Netero made a loud, noticeable noise. Gon, Killua, and Tenko immediately turned around, but they saw nothing.

'Is there a problem?" A voice asked. The trio turned around and saw Chairman Netero walking towards them. Killua stood his ground in front of Gon and Tenko and glared at the man. "Mr. Netero, did you see someone coming from that side?" Gon asked, pointing to the spot where him, Tenko, and Killua heard the noise.

Netero shook his head. "No, I didn't." He replied. Killua's glared sharpened. _'When did he even...'_ He thought. Then his glare softened. "For an old man, you're actually pretty quick on your feet." The albino haired boy said. "Oh, that little trick?" He asked. Then he smiled. "I hardly even moved." He said.

KIllua glared at the Chairman, while Netero looked back at him. They looked at each other for a while. Gon and Tenko were a little confused. Gon kept looking at Killua, then Netero. "What do you want?" Killua asked, not letting his eyes leave Netero. "You don't have anything to do with the Final Phase, do you?"

"No need to be so spiteful," Netero responded. "I only got bored, so now I'm looking for some companions." Killua kept his glare on the elder man. Then Netero took his eyes of Killua and smiled. "Oh, by the way, I meant to ask you three," he said. "Do you have any thoughts on your first attempt at the Hunter Exam?"

Gon nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty fun," he said enthusiastically. "There haven't been any written exams or anything, which I was really afraid of." Tenko barked and wagged his tail for his response. "I'm disappointed," Killua said simply. "I was expecting this exam to be way more challenging. I hope the next phase is gonna be more amusing."

"Well now, I wouldn't know about that." Chairman Netero said to Killua. The albino haired male huffed. Then he turned around. "Gon, Yuki," he said. "Let's go." Gon was confused, and was contemplating moving. "Oh, now wait just a minute." Netero called. Killua rolled his eyes, but stopped walking.

"Would you care to play a little game with me?" Chairman Netero asked. Killua was silent and still. Then he slowly turned around to look at the old man. "A game?" Gon asked. The Chairman nods. "If you're able to defeat me, I'll let you become Hunters!" He declared. "Really?" Gon asked in disbelief and hope. "Even Yuki?"

Netero looked down at the fox. Tenko looked at the old man. "I'll...try to make some sort of arrangement for the fox," he said. "But yes, if you beat me, I'll let you be Hunters!" Gon smiled brightly. "Okay, I'll play!" He said enthusiastically.

Killua turned around more to face Netero better, still giving the Chairman that same icy glare. "Well, how about it?" The Chairman asked the albino haired child. Killua still gave Netero his glare, but reluctantly nodded and agreed to play whatever game the old man had in mind.

Netero took Gon, Tenko, and Killua to a room. It has white walls and no windows, but had some square lights on the ceiling. The Chairman left the trio in the room for a bit, then came back wearing new clothes. He also had a ball, which the trio guessed was for the game. Netero stood in front of the trio and bounced the ball on the floor for a bit, then when it was airborne, he caught it on his index finger and spun it on his finger for a small time. Then the ball stopped spinning and the Chairman balanced it on his finger.

"Now, I'll explain the rules of this game," Netero said. "If you can manage to take this ball away from me before this airship arrives at it's destination, you win." Killua, Gon, and Tenko looked at the clock. Netero saw this. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that we're scheduled to arrive to our destination at 8 PM, right?" He asked, spinning the ball on his finger again. Gon looked back at him and nodded.

"Well, that still gives you nine hours," Chairman Netero asked. "You're also free to attack me in any way you'd like. I won't be touching you." "What? That's too easy," Gon said in confusion. "That can't be called a game." Netero bounced the ball on his finger a little bit. "Well why don't you give it a go?" He asked, sounding somewhat taunting.

Then Killua turned to face the elderly man. "So we just need to get the ball from you?" He asked. "Yep." Netero confirmed. "Alright the, I'll go first." Killua decided. Netero smiled. "Okay then, go ahead." He said calmly.

Killua frowned. Then he started walking around, refusing to take his eyes off Chairman Netero. Gon, Tenko, and Netero watched curiously as Killua walked around. The albino haired boy was convinced that the Chairman was messing with him.

Then suddenly, as Killua was walking, copies of him started appearing. Multiple ones would appear, and then they'd disappear as their number increased. Gon gasped an his eyes widened. He stared at Killua in confusion and awe. Tenko was surprised too. _'Is that some type of illusionary technique?'_ He thought. It looked like something that had to do with illusions.

The Killuas continued to walk around Netero. The Chairman's eyes widened and he didn't take his eyes off the Killua copies. It now looked like there were a bunch of Killuas walking around the old man. "I see a bunch of Killuas!" Gon exclaimed in awe.

Netero stared at the Killuas intently. He knew what Killua was doing, and it was an assassination art called the Rhythm Echo. Chairman Netero continued to keep his focus on Killua. _'Practitioners of this technique us a varying cadence of stops to form afterimages, which are used to entrance and confuse the opponent.'_ The old man thought to himself.

KIllua looked Netero in the eyes as he moved. Netero kept his eyes on the albino haired boy. He found it surprising how a young child already managed to master the Rhythm Echo.

There were many Killua copies circling around the Chairman . Then the real Killua stopped moving and suddenly jumped directly at Chairman Netero, reaching out the grab the ball. However, the elderly man simply moved to the side as soon as Killua got close. Killua glared and balanced himself on his foot before jumping at Netero again. Unfortunately, the Chairman jumped away and Killua’s attack was unsuccessful again.

There was a cycle of Killua jumping at Netero, only for the old man to jump away and dodge the attack going on for a while. Chairman Netero managed to get the ball away from Killua's reach each time. Then Netero jumped back again and posed upside down, still having the ball with him. Gon smiled in awe. Tenko sat up and wagged his tail.

The old man jumped back when Killua tried to land a hit on him. Seeing his attack failed again, Killua jumped back as well. Netero balanced the ball on his index finger and stared at the white haired boy, almost tauntingly.

Killua turned around to the Chairman and glared at him. _'Damn it,'_ he thought. _'He's keeps darting around so quickly.'_ For a second, Killua began to wonder if Netero was even an old man.

Chairman Netero smiled at Killua. "What, are you giving up already?" He asked. Then the elderly man bounced to ball up in the air. It landed on his nose and he balanced it there. Killua gritted his teeth and turned his body around. _'Well in that case, I'll stop his movements!'_ He thought to himself. Within a second, Killua got down on the floor and slid swiftly towards Netero with his left leg out.

Chairman Netero looked down and saw Killua coming close, but he surprisingly didn't move. As soon as Killua's leg came into contact with his foot, Netero lurched forward in surprise and pain. The ball bounced of his finger for a spilt second

Gon and Tenko's eyes widened. The fox's ears flattened and he cringed, wondering how hurt Chairman Netero was. Gon cringed as well. "Ouch, that must've hurt," he said. "Right on his pivot leg too!"

Killua looked up at Netero and smirked. The Chairman stared at the albino haired boy with wide eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds until Killua's eyes suddenly widened. He looked as if he was in pain. Then the boy clutched his left leg and gritted his teeth.

Killua jumped away from Netero on his right leg and clutched his left leg. "Ouch!" He yelled, bouncing around on his right leg. There was a visible bruise on Killua's leg. 

Chairman Netero stared at Killua as he jumped around the room in pain. 'He didn't hold back with that kick of his.' Netero thought. If the Chairman was a normal person, Killua's kick would've fractured his leg.

Killua sat down on the floor, seizing his leg. He gritted his teeth and looked at Netero, who was still standing up, despite the albino haired boy's attack to his lag. _'Damn it,'_ Killua thought to himself. _'His legs are hard as iron!'_

"Killua," Gon's voice called. "Tag, tag!" KIllua turned around to find the green haired boy waving at him. "It's my turn!" Gon told his friend. KIllua limped over to Gon as fast as he could. When he got there, he high fived Gon.

Chairman Netero's eyes narrowed as he watched Gon, who was stretching. _'What will this kid try doing?'_ He thought. In Netero's eyes, Gon seemed like a sweet, honest boy.

Gon stood up straight and stared at Netero. "Okay, here I go!" He said. Then he bent his knees a bit and stared at Netero. Then Gon glanced at the ball on the Chairman's head. Within just a second, Gon leaned back on his right foot, then leapt towards Netero.

Chairman Netero watched as Gon was coming towards him, taking a second to admire how fast he was on his first step. _'Unfortunately for him, he'll need another ten years_ _before he can attack me head on,'_ the old man thought. _'Then again, I guess he is just a child.'_

Then, something happened that Netero didn't expect. As Gon was close to him, the boy jumped up into the air, looking down at the Chairman triumphantly.. Netero looked up, surprised with Gon's actions. _'What? Going up_ _above?'_ He thought.

Unfortunately for Gon, he jumped too high and ended up hitting his head on the ceiling. Netero's eyes widened as he watched Gon get injured. The green haired boy's proud expression immediately changed to pain. 

Gon fell to the floor and held his head in his hands in pain. "Ow!" He whined, rolling around on the floor. Tenko winced and his ears flattened on his head. He wondered if Gon would be okay. Tenko did wish that Gon would be more careful though. Killua raised his fist up in the air and waved it. "Ugh, you idiot," he yelled in annoyance. "We already know that you can jump pretty high, now control you strength!"

Then Killua crossed his arms. "You just wasted your chance," he said. "The old man had his guard down!" Netero gave the albino haired boy a sideway glance. _'Yeah, no kidding.'_ He thought to himself.

As soon as Gon recovered, he stood back up, rubbing the back of his head. Then he started to walk around Chairman Netero. The old man watched Gon's movements closely. _'This kid may be simple minded, but it's clear that he uses his head.'_ He thought.

Gon continued to walk around Netero. "I messed up, I messed up." He said to himself. Netero narrowed his eyes at Gon, taking note on how him, Killua, and the fox would most likely be keeping him entertained until morning.

Meanwhile, as for other applicants, they were in a room, sleeping. Tonpa, who was sound asleep before, opened his eyes and grinned. He got up and walked past the applicants, making sure he didn't awaken any of them. Tonpa opened the door and silently crept out the room and began walking down the hall, wearing that same nasty grin.

 _'Those two seemed to be pretty shaken up.'_ He thought, referring to Leorio and Kurapika. Tonpa walked down the hall until he reached his destination. It was the room Kurapika and Leorio were in. Then he opened the door, smirking to himself. _'I bet they're so nervous, they can't even get a wink of sleep!'_ Tonpa thought. Then he looked around the room, only to be met with an unfortunate surprise.

Leorio and Kurapika were wrapped in blankets, sleeping quite peacefully. Tonpa's eyes widened. _'They're fast asleep?!'_ He thought, a drop of sweat running down his neck. He sighed and closed the door. Then he walked back to the room he was in previously, disappointed that he didn't get what he wanted.

Meanwhile, as for Gon, Netero, Killua, and Tenko, they were still playing the ball game. Gon seemed like he needed help before, so Killua and Tenko jumped in. Gon went to the sidelines to rest a little while ago, while Tenko and Killua where jumping at Netero.

Killua was landing kicks at Chairman Netero, while Tenko was waving his paws around, continously jumping at him. For a brief time, the old man's hand lost contact with the ball. Killua saw this, but unfortunately his head bumped into the back of Netero's head.

Tenko ran to get the ball as it bounced away, but it was going too fast. The ball bounced off the wall and zoomed towards Chairman Netero. The ball bounced onto his finger and spun there. Then Netero stopped the ball's movements and caught it on his hand, walking away. Then the Chairman looked down at Killua.

Tenko ran over to Killua. The fox noticed the bruise Killua was covering on his forehead and whimpered quietly. He wished these kids would be a bit more careful before they got hurt even worse.

The Chairman looked at Killua and Tenko. "You three aren't getting anywhere," he commented. "Why don't you just all attack me at once?" Then Killua froze, and his eyes opened. He didn't look too happy.

In a flash, he jumped up to Netero. "Why you-!" He yelled. Gon crouched down and grinned. "Okay, I think I've got it now!" He said. Then he ran at Netero. Tenko jumped up to Netero as well. When Gon went to attack the Chairman, the old man countered the attack and hit Gon in the head. The ball left his hand for a second.

"Here they go." Netero said. He went to touch the ball before Killua and Tenko got to it. Surprisingly, Chairman Netero caught the ball on his foot. Gon, Killua, and Tenko watched in awe.

Gon jumped away from Netero, wiping the sweat off his forehead. _'Wow,'_ he thought. 'Mr. Netero hasn't even broken a sweat!' Then the green haired boy ran back to Netero. He lifted up his feet and brought kicks to Chairman Netero. Luckily for him, Netero managed to block Gon's attacks. Killua and Tenko were attacking from behind, so it was a bit harder to block their attacks, but he managed to anyway.

Chairman Netero slid away from Gon, Tenko, and KIllua. Unluckily for them, the trio wasn't watching where they were going and bumped into each other.

Netero balanced the ball back on his head, chuckling at the kids and the fox. Gon rubbed his pained forehead and glanced at Netero, realizing that a full frontal attack wasn't gonna work.

Then Gon got up and swiftly turned on his foot, zooming to the old man. Netero scoffed. "Your attacks are getting dull now!" He said. Gon brought his foot up to Netero's face, and the old man simply backed away a bit, however, something happened that the Chairman wasn't prepared for.

Instead of Gon's foot hitting Netero's face, the green haired boy's shoe slipped off his foot and hit the old man in the face instead, taking Netero by surprise. He dropped the ball.

'He kicked his shoe off to increase the range?' Netero thought to himself. Then Killua and Tenko (Tenko being on Killua's head) jumped up behind Netero. The Chairman saw them and his eyes widened, but unfortunately, his time to react was too late. Killua kicked the man in the back of the head, causing him to fall back and lose his grip on the ball, making it go airborne.

Killua grinned. "Okay, it's our chance," Killua said. "Go Yuki!" At the command, Tenko jumped off Killua's head and went for the ball, making his tail go out to grab the ball. Netero grinned. _'Oh no you don't!'_ He thought. Before Tenko could get the ball, Netero used his foot to kick the airborne ball away. Tenko's eyes widened.

Chairman Netero reached out to grab the ball, but to his avail, Gon kicked his other shoe off and aimed it at the ball. The shoe brought the ball away from Netero, making the old man's eyes widen. "You and your little tricks!" He yelled.

KIllua, Gon, and Tenko zoomed towards the ball, hands (and paws) out. "We've got it!" Gon and Killua said simultaneously.

Netero narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He backed up a bit, then ran at full speed towards the trio. Before Gon, Killua, and Tenko could grab the ball, Chairman Netero zoomed in between them, knocking them away. The old man slid on the floor on his feet with the ball in his hand. Killua glanced at Netero and glared at him. Gon fell back on his butt, while Tenko fell on his stomach.

Gon looked up at Netero and saw the man standing with the ball balanced on his finger, in confusion. Tenko was annoyed and put his hands in his paws, sighing exasperatedly. Killua gritted his teeth, giving the Chairman an icy glare.

"One things for sure, I commend you on your efforts." Netero said. Then Gon saw a burn mark on the floor, and a little smoke was rising up from it. It was from the ball. Gon smiled brightly at Chairman Netero. "You're really amazing, Mr. Netero," Gon acknowledged. "You really are!"

Killua looked over at the burn mark on the floor, a tiny bit astonished. Tenko looked up and the burn mark on the floor also caught his attention. Netero looked proud of himself.

Killua glared angrily at the Chairman, then closed his eyes and sighed. He slowly got up. "Well, I'm done," he declared. "I give up. I've lost." Then the white haired boy turned to walk away. Gon was confused. "What?" He asked. Tenko was surprised as well. _'I thought we wanted to be a Hunter.'_ The fox thought.

Netero opened one of his eyes. _'Oh, so he's quitting?'_ The man thought to himself. "Why are you quitting?" Gon asked, standing up. "We still have more time before morning comes, and we just came really close too." Tenko stood up and barked in agreement at Gon's words.

Killua picked up his shirt. "You really don't get it, do you?" He asked. Gon was confused. Killua saw this and sighed. "The old man's hardly used his right hand and his left leg." Killua explained. Gon's eyes widened. "What?" He asked in surprise. Tenko looked back at Netero. _'I didn't see that.'_ He thought.

"He hasn't used his right hand and left leg, yet we're all still powerless against him," Killua said. "We could be chasing the old man around for a year, and we'd still never get the ball from him." Gon looked over at Chairman Netero.

The old man smiled a bit. "Oh, so you noticed that?" he asked. "I thought I had you fooled." 

Gon understood now, and Tenko did as well. "Oh, so that's what he was doing." He said. Killua laughed. "You really piss me off, old man," he said. "Gon, Yuki, let's go." Gon turned around to the door. "Oh, I'm gonna play a bit longer." He said. Killua peeked through the door with a confused expression on his face. "Huh?" He asked.

Then he ran into the room near Gon. "Didn't you hear what I said?!" he asked exasperatedly. "It's just useless! You aren't gonna be able to take the ball from him!" Gon smiled. "Yeah, but I don't really care about the ball anymore." He said. Killua raised an eyebrow.

"We've only used up half the time limit," Gon explained. "So I'm gonna make Mr. Netero use his right hand before the time is up." Killua gave Gon a weird and confused expression, but was okay with Gon's reasoning. "Um, okay then," he told his friend. "Well, good luck. I'm gonna get some sleep." Then with that, he left.

Gon looked down at Yuki, who was sitting next to him. "Do you wanna keep playing too?" He asked the fox. Tenko thought about it for a bit. The game was challenging, but that made it fun. Besides, he wanted to see Gon make Netero use his right hand. Tenko finally barked and nodded the best he could. Gon smiled.

Then Gon turned to look at Chairman Netero. "Hey Mr. Netero?" He began. "Hmm?" The old man acknowledged. "How did Killua do that thing where he walked slowly and it seemed like there was a bunch of him?" Tenko remembered that. He was honestly quite interested in it.

Netero was silent for a moment. "That was a technique which is for those who engage in shady underground work," he finally replied. "You have no reason to learn it. In fact, you should never learn it at all."

"But it's an awesome technique, right?" Gon asked. Netero hummed in response. "In order to master it, it requires an exhaustive amount of training." He explained, bouncing the ball in his right hand up and down. Gon smiled brightly. "Killua's amazing!" He said happily. Tenko barked in agreement. Then it was silent for a moment, except for the sound of Netero bouncing the ball in his hands.

Gon glanced over at the ball in Netero's hands. Then he reached out and went for it. Unfortunately, Netero brought the ball out of his reach before Gon could touch it. "Too easy!" He told the boy. Gon grinned sheepishly.

As for Killua, he was heading to a room to go and get some sleep. _'Damn it, now I'm in a bad mood.'_ He thought as he walked. As Killua walked, he accidentally bumped into someone's arm, but he didn't seem to really care. _'Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it now.'_ KIllua thought to himself with a sigh.

"Hey kid, wait a minute." A voice said. It was the man who Killua bumped into. The man didn't look happy. "You're really gonna bump into us, then ignore us?" He asked. Killua ignored him and kept walking. The man, along with the other one, got pissed once they saw Killua ignore them again. "You bastard!" They yelled. Then they ran at the white haired boy.

When the men reached Killua, they put their hands on his shoulders. Although, before they could do anything, Killua attacked them in a flash. Blood and shreds of ripped clothes fell to the floor, along with the men's bodies.

Killua walked away and brought up his hand, staring at his nails. His hands were kinda wrinkled and his nails had sharpened and gotten longer, looking quite similar to claws. He reverted his hand back to normal and put his hand down. _'If I hadn't stopped them, I would've wanted that ball so bad I would've killed the old man for it.'_ Killua thought.

Meanwhile, Gon and Tenko were still playing the game with Chairman Netero. Gon and Tenko were throwing in combined attacks left in right, but they didn't hit Netero. The old man dodged each punch that Gon threw and every clawed attack that Tenko threw.

Then Gon started to zigzag in front of Netero. Tenko was surprised by this, thinking it was an attempt to confuse the Chairman. If it was, it was a good one. 

_'Oh, so he's able to increase his speed more.'_ The old man thought. Gon continued to quickly zigzag in front of Netero, then reached his hand towards the old man. Chairman Netero's eyes widened. He knew what was happening. 'He'll feint for the ball, but will attack my stomach!' The Chairman thought.

Before Netero could react correctly and dodge what was going to happen, Gon headbutted the elderly man in the stomach. As soon as he did this, he felt a pang of pain in his head. "O-ow!" He said, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. 

However, Gon didn't seem to care about the pain too much, because he positioned himself again to headbutt the Chairman. Netero and Tenko were surprised. Tenko wondered why Gon was gonna do it again, since it hurt him. Chairman Netero was equally surprised. The man knew that if Gon headbutted him again, he'd most likely shatter his skull. But if Netero relaxed his stomach, then he'd be the one in pain.

Before Gon's head could touch Netero's stomach, the old man had an idea. 'I'll just dodge his attack.' He said. Then Chairman Netero jumped up away from Gon. Unfortunately for Gon, he hit his head into the wall. Tenko's eyes widened.

Netero landed on the ground and turned around. Gon was laying on the floor, and there was a very noticeable mark in the wall. The Chairman's eyes widened. "Is he dead?" Netero asked himself. Tenko ran over to Gon, walking around him and sniffing him.

Then after a little bit, Gon started getting up, making Tenko sigh in relief. There was a big bruise on his forehead. Then Gon quickly sat on his knees and smiled, facing Netero. Then he gave the old man a toothy grin. Netero's eyes went even wider.

"You used your right hand, didn't you?" Gon asked. Netero gasped, then raised up his right hand and looked at it. _'I did use my right hand...'_ He thought to himself. Then the Chairman looked back at Gon. The boy grinned even wider.

Then Gon fell onto his back slightly and put his arms and legs in the air happily. "I did it!" He cheered. Tenko stared at Gon for a little bit, then smiled and wagged his tail. "Yahoo!" Gon said joyfully. Netero stared at the boy.

As Gon was cheering, his happy solace came to a halt. The green haired boy's voice quieted down, then he fell on his back. Tenko peered at Gon. His eyes were closed and he was snoring. _'He's asleep.'_ Tenko thought.

Netero's eyes softened and he smiled at the sleeping boy. Then he looked up at the clock. Time had flown by and it was almost morning. Netero walked over to a wall and stood there for a bit. Out of curiosity, Tenko got up and followed him. The Chairman was using the phone. "Hello, is this the pilot?" Netero asked.

"Yes, it's me. How's the flight going?" He asked. After a bit, Netero nodded. "Ah, I see. I'm sorry to ruin it for you, considering it's going so smoothly, but could you fly a bit slower?" He said to the captain.

Tenko smiled at Netero, then trotted back over to the sleeping Gon. The bruise on Gon's forehead was getting bigger and more noticeable, but Tenko made a mental note to make sure it would get patched up in the morning. The fox curled up next to Gon's side and sighed heavily before falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems rushed😔  
> But I hope you enjoyed it!


	9. The X Third X Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving at the Third Phase, the applicants are tasked with climbing down a tall pillar with hidden doors in it in order to pass to the next phase of the exam.

As dawn breaks, the airship carrying Gon, Killua, Tenko, Kurapika, Leorio, and the other applicants finally arrives at it's destination. The Third Phase of the Hunter Exam is about to start.

Gon and Tenko were still sleeping. Netero had generously given Gon his shirt as a blanket. After a little while, Gon opened his eyes. Then he heard a voice over the intercom. "I apologize for the delay, everyone," the voice said. "The airship will be reaching it's destination soon."

Gon jumped up from his spot and ran over to one of the windows. He jumped up onto the wall and looked out the window. Then he smiled brightly. "Wow!" He said. Out the window, he saw an island-like spot, just without the water or anything. There was also a pillar on top of it. "Is that where the next phase is gonna be held?"

Then Gon jumped off the wall and ran over to Tenko, who was still sleeping. He gently shook the little fox awake. As soon as Gon started shaking Tenko, the fox's head shot up and he looked around quickly. When Tenko saw it was just Gon, his expression softened and he wagged his tail. Gon smiled at the fox.

"We're almost at the next phase Yuki!" Gon said excitedly. Tenko's ears perked up at this news and he jumped up. Then he ran towards the window and barked. Gon ran over to Tenko and put the fox on his shoulder. Then he climbed up the wall to look out the window this time. The airship was closer to the destination now. Tenko barked and wagged his tail excitedly.

After a minute or two, the airship went down and stopped moving. The applicants filed out the airship and began looking around. "Where are we?" One of them asked. "Ahem." A voice said. The applicants turned around and saw Beans, the Chairman's secretary from yesterday. "Alright everyone, the Third Phase of the exam will be happening here," he inquired. "At the top of the Trick Tower."

"The Trick Tower?" An applicant asked. Beans nodded and continued. "In order to pass this phase, you must reach the base of the tower alive. The time limit is seventy-two hours." The applicants looked lie they understood, which made Beans smile. "With that, the Third Phase of the exam will now begin," he said. "I wish you all the best of luck!"

Little did the exam applicants know, there was someone watching them from a big screen. The person munched off a piece of his snack and chewed. After swallowing, he chuckled. "So it's finally my turn?" He asked, smiling. The men behind watched the screen silently.

The applicants watched as the airship started flying away from the tower. "Goodbye everyone," Beans said from above. "Please do your best!"

Gon and Tenko peered down the tower, looking down how far it was down. Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio came to their sides. "So are we supposed to just climb down?" Leorio asked. "That would be suicide..." Kurapika told the brunette. Then the quintet heard a grunt behind. They turned around and saw a man crossing his arms.

"That might be suicide for a normal person." He said confidently. Then the man started to climb down the tower. Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, Tenko, and Killua didn't stop him and watched as the man started climbing down the tower. "An expert rock climber like me can handle this, no sweat." The man said. 

"Wow." Killua said quietly. "He's going down pretty fast." Gon said. The man smirked as he climbed down. "Looks like I'll be the first person to pass the Third Phase." He said. Then the man heard a noise in the distance, causing him to stop climbing and look around. The man wasn't the only one who heard it, because the quintet above heard the noise too.

Leorio, Killua, Tenko, Kurapika, and Gon looked around. The man who was climbing down the tower started to turn around to his side, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. He looked to his side, fearfully wondering what was about to happen.

Then suddenly, giant, weird pink creatures with wings started to fly around the man. The man gasped. "Stop it, stay away!" He yelled. The quintet gasped, watching as the beasts flew around the man menacingly.

Then one of the pink flying creatures flew up towards the man from above. The beast had it's mouth wide open, giving the man climbing the tower a good view of his sharp teeth. "No, no don't do it!" The man pleaded. However, his words were ignored and the beast swooped up, grabbing the man up in it's mouth. Gon, Killua, Tenko, Kurapika, and Leorio backed up from the edge of the tower and watched as the beasts flew away. "Help!" They heard the man say. Unfortunately for him, he was beyond saving.

The group of five watched as the beasts flew away in the distance, still surprised about what just happened. "I-I guess we don't climb down the tower." Leorio said. "Yeah." Kurapika agreed.

After a little while, the applicants tried to find a different way to get down the tower. Geretta poked at the ground with his staff, hoping to find a secret opening. Some other applicants started to bring their fist down at the ground. Not too hard though. Kurapika and Leorio where walking around the tower.

Then Kurapika suddenly stopped abruptly. Upon seeing this, Leorio stopped as well. "What's wrong?" The tall brunette asked the blonde Kurta. "There are fewer people here now." Kurapika replied. Leorio looked around in surprise. "What, really?" He asked. "I count twenty-three in all now, which suggests that almost half of the applicants have already found a way in."

Leorio was surprised. "No way," he said. "When did they do that?" Kurapika crossed his arms. "That means there must be some type of hidden door that leads down below." He explained. "Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon's voice called out. The blonde and the brunette turned around.

Gon, Killua, and Tenko were standing a few feet away from them. Gon waved over to them, and Leorio and Kurapika ran over to them. "What is it, Gon?" Kurapika asked. "Look at this, I found a hidden door." Gon replied, getting down to the floor and touching a tile. He pushed it and held his fingers on the tile. Then it went down. Gon let go of the tile and stood up.

Leorio gasped. Kurapika nodded and put a finger up to his chin. "I see," he said. "So in order to descend we must flip the slabs." Leorio smiled. "Great job, Gon!" He said, patting the green haired boy on the back. "Now let's head down there." The tall brunette declared.

"But I'm unsure..." Gon told him. Leorio raised an eyebrow. "What are you unsure about, Gon?" He asked. "There are also hidden doors here, over there, there, and over there too." He replied, pointing over to different areas. "Jeez, that many?" Leorio asked.

Kurapika put his finger on his chin again. "So there are five hidden doors located in the same area," he stated. "It seems suspicious to me. Some of them could possibly be traps."

"And it seems like each door can only be used once..." Killua added. "Really?" Leorio asked in slight disbelief. Killua nodded. "Me, Gon, and Yuki saw someone use a door, so we tried opening it, but it wouldn't budge." The albino haired male explained. "Judging by the size of the door, it seems like only one person can go in at a time." Kurapika inquired.

"So in other words, only one person can use each door," Killua said. "We'll have to split up. Me and Gon and Yuki decided that we're each gonna choose a door." Tenko barked in agreement. "No hard feelings if anyone of us triggers a trap," Gon said. "What are you gonna do, Leorio and Kurapika?"

"Well I can live with that, since luck is a part of the game." Leorio said. "I have no objections either," Kurapika added. "So that settles it." Tenko barked and jumped onto Gon's shoulder. Leorio, Killua, Kurapika, and Gon (along with Tenko) got near separate tiles.

"Okay, let's go on the count of three." Leorio suggested. "I guess this means goodbye for now." Gon said. "Let's all meet up again, at the tower's base." Kurapika told everyone. Killua nodded. "Let's go..." He said. "One!"

"Two!" Gon counted. "Three!" They all said simultaneously. They all jumped onto the tiles in front of them. As soon as that happened, the tiles flipped over and sent Killua, Gon, Tenko, Leorio, and Kurapika down.

Gon and Tenko were the first to fall down. They fell into a strange room. Killua was the second person to fall into the same room, followed by Kurapika shortly thereafter. Leorio was the last person to fall down, except unfortunately for him, he fell right on his face. Leorio grunted in pain, then looked up. Then his expression changed from pain to confusion. He wasn't the only one confused, either.

"Huh?" Everyone said in unison. Leorio looked around. "Huh? What?" The brunette asked. Gon, Killua, and Tenko looked at each other. Then Gon and Killua smiled brightly. Tenko barked and wagged his tail.

"Well that was a short-lived farewell." Kurapika commented. "So all the doors just led to the same room." Leorio added. Then the brunette and the blonde saw Gon walking towards a small table, with Tenko trotting behind him. Kurapika followed the both of them. Leorio stood up to see what was going on.

The quintet all saw a sign atop the table. Gon decided to read it. "It says the five who drop into this chamber must find their way down together by majority rule." Gon read. Then he picked up a bracelet like item. "This are five wrist timers." The green haired boy said. Everyone else (excluding Tenko), picked up a wrist watch. The wrist watches each had a timer and two buttons below it.

"There's an O and an X button." Killua said, putting his wrist watch on. "Could it be that we won't have the ability to exit this room until another person drops in?" Kurapika asked. Tenko looked at the fifth wristwatch, then looked at Gon, who was looking at him. The fox shook his head to the best of his ability. He didn't want to put that thing on. Good thing he really couldn't anyway.

"That is correct!" A voice said. Leorio jumped. "W-who's that?" He asked. "My name is Lippo," the voice spoke. "I am the warden here, as well as I'm the examiner for the Third Phase." Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "Warden?" He asked.

Lippo stared at the quintet through his camera. "There are multiple different routes in this tower," he explained. "You've chosen the Path of Majority Rules. In order to clear this phase of the exam, you will need to use the key of cooperation."

Lippo continued to speak. "One person's selfishness will sabotage an entire group," he said. "And you cannot start until you've got five members. Best of luck, gentlemen and fox!" Then the intercom turned off.

"So we can't move until someone else arrives?" Leorio asked. "What do we do now?" Kurapika put a finger to his chin. "I guess we'll have to wait." He replied. Then Gon, Killua, Tenko, Kurapika, and Leorio all stared at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Lippo was still in his office. He turned around in his chair and whistled. Then the door opened and cloaked people in handcuffs appeared. They walked into the room and stood in front of Lippo silently. "Did you call for us, warden?" One of the cloaked people finally asked. "The test is beginning now," Lippo answered. "Take your assigned positions."

"Okay." The cloaked group of people said expressionlessly. 

After a while, Leorio, Gon, Kurapika, Killua, and Tenko were all still in the room, waiting for another person to drop in. Gon was skating around on Killua's skateboard. Killua was using Gon's fishing rod and practicing reeling it in, while Tenko watched. Leorio sat down with his elbows on his knees. Kurapika sat down near the wall.

"Oh, come on!" Leorio said in agitation. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him, wondering what was wrong with him. "it's been two hours," he said. "What if everyone else took different routes?" Then he put his hands together and balled them up. "Only a moron would still be at the top of the tower!" He exclaimed. 

"Calm down, Leorio," Kurapika told the brunette. "Complaining isn't going to help." Killua looked at Leorio with a bored expression and yawned. Tenko tilted his head curiously. He wondered why Leorio had such a short temper.

"But what if nobody shows up before we reach our time limit!" He said. Gon stared at Leorio as he spoke. "Hey!" A voice suddenly said. Gon looked up curiously. Tenko's ears twitched a bit. He heard the voice as well. He trotted over to Gon and saw him looking up at the ceiling, which prompted the fox to do the same.

"I can't just sit here and-" Leorio spoke, but Kurapika interrupted him. "Quiet!" He said, putting a finger to his lips. Leorio was confused. "Huh?" He asked loudly. The blonde Kurta pointed up to the ceiling. "That sound." He replied. Leorio looked up at the ceiling, ready to expect something.

The ceiling didn't do anything for a little bit. Then suddenly, a tile in the ceiling moved. Gon, Killua, Tenko, Leorio, and Kurapika walked over to the ceiling tile and looked up at it. Tiny stone parts of the ceiling began to fall down. Then it completely flipped over and someone fell down from it. However, it wasn't just anyone. It was Tonpa.

The quintet stared at Tonpa as he was on the floor. The man in blue got up and rubbed the side of his head. "Good grief." He said. 

"Mr. Tonpa!" Gon said. Killua, Leorio, Kurapika, and Tenko narrowed their eyes at him. "Oh man." Killua sighed. "It's the old man." Leorio mumbled in annoyance. Tenko rolled his eyes at Tonpa.

Tonpa ignored them and walked over to the table. He fastened his wristwatch into place and smiled. "All right!" He said in satisfaction. Then suddenly, a noise emitted from somewhere. Loerio, Gon, Killua, Tenko, Kurapika, and Tonpa turned around and saw the door opening. On the door, there was a sign with an O and an X sign.

The group of six walked up to the door. "I see," Kurapika said. "So the door will appear once five people arrive and put on the timers." Gon read the sign. "To open this door, select O to open, and X not to open." He said.

"So they're forcing us to use majority rule already?" Leorio asked. "The answer should be obvious." Then everyone (minus Tenko) pressed one of the buttons on their wristwatches. After doing so, the numbers beside the X and O changed. The number beside O was four, while the number beside X was one.

"What?" Leorio said in confusion. "Who pushed the X button?" He asked demandingly as the door opened. Tonpa laughed sheepishly. "Oh sorry, that was me," he answered. "I pushed the wrong button on accident."

Leorio grabbed Tonpa by the collar of his shirt. "Stop messing around here, old man," he said. "Are ya blind or something?" Tonpa's eyes slightly adverted away from Leorio's eyes. "I told you, it was an accident." He said, rolling his eyes. Leorio was only angrier. "How do you accidentally press the wrong button?" He asked loudly. Suddenly, Tenko started barking loudly. "It doesn't matter about that," Gon told Leorio and Tonpa. "The door's already open." 

"No Gon, it does matter," he said before turning back to Tonpa. "This guy purposefully pressed the X button!" 

Then Tenko jumped off Gon's shoulder and barked loudly. Leorio looked at the fox, and Tenko continued to bark, looking disappointed with him and Tonpa. "Come on, you two," Kurapika said. "We don't have the time to argue." Killua nodded in agreement. "That's right," he spoke. "Even if he does keep pressing the wrong one, the rest of us will just need to press the right one."

Then Kurapika and Killua turned to walk away. Gon and Tenko followed behind them. "Fine." Leorio said. Tonpa smirked at Leorio as the tall brunette let him go. "Okay, let's go!" Tonpa said cheerfully, turning away from Leorio and going to follow the others. _'Damn...'_ Leorio thought to himself, fuming.

Eventually, the group of six reached another sign with an X and an O sign on it, exactly similar to the previous sign. "Are you kidding me..." Leorio said. "Another question right after the first door?"

"Which way do you want to go?" Gon read the sign. "O for right, X for left." The group looked over at the right side, then looked to the left side. "Right, or left." Leorio implied. Gon, Kurapika, Killua, Leorio, and Tonpa pressed one of the buttons on their wristwatches.

After doing so, the numbers next to the letters changed. There was a three beside the O, and a two beside the X. "Huh?!" Leorio exclaimed loudly. "Why would you choose to go right? Normally, you'd go left in a situation like this!"

Kurapika turned to the angry brunette. "While that is true, research has specified that people who are lost or stuck at forks heedlessly tend to go left." Kurapika explained. "I've heard about that before, too." Killua commented. 

"Wait a minute! Then the numbers don't add up," Leorio objected. "Which button did you press?" He pointed to Kurapika. "Right." The blonde simply replied, walking to the right way.. "I chose right too." Killua added, following Kurapika. "Y-you guys..." Leorio said. Then Tonpa turned to him.

"That's why they made the choice to go right," he told the tall brunette. "To outsmart the examiner. If the examiner knows that people tend to go left, the left path will be more difficult than the opposite path." Then the man wearing blue went to follow Killua and Kurapika. Leorio glared at Tonpa as he walked. Then he turned to Gon and Tenko, who were looking at him.

Then Leorio went to follow the other three. "Fine then, since we're just so simple-minded!" He said. "We?" Gon asked, walked behind Leorio.

The group of six walked right until the came across a corner. They walked into the corner, which led them to another path. Leorio, Tonpa, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, and Tenko walked down the path, until they stopped.

"W-where are we?" Leorio asked, looking around. They were in a semi-dark room. There was a large stone platform with torches adorning the corners of it. The group themselves were standing on a smaller platform. There was also a platform the same size as their own across from them.

"Look over there." Killua told the group. Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Tonpa, and Tenko looked to the front and saw what looked to be a group of four people on the other platform. They were draped in cloaks and were most likely staring right at the group of applicants across from them.

"The applicants have arrived," a male voice said. "Take off my handcuffs." The second those words were spoken, the handcuffs were detached, falling to the ground loudly. The cloaked person rubbed his wrists. "All right." He sad in satisfaction. Then the person reached dup to his hood and clutched it. He took it off and tossed it to the ground.

"I'm finally free." The unknown person said, coming ou t of the shadows. It was a buff man, with a couple scars on his head.

The man stared at the applicants with an intimidating smirk. The group of six stared back at the man silently, except for Leorio who gulped. Then a familiar voice came over the intercom. It was Lippo. "Allow me to explain everything, gentlemen and fox," Lippo said. "Standing before you are a few of the prisoners here in the Trick Tower."

"Prisoners?" Kurapika questioned. "The Hunter Exam Committee has officially hired them as examiners," Lippo continued. "You will be fighting against all five of them. The fights will be one on one, and each person may only fight once. You're free to fight in any way you like. A win is announced when the opponent admits defeat."

Then the prisoner spoke. "Decide for yourselves which order you want to go in," he said. "Win the majority of the matches. In other words, if you win three matches, you're allowed to pass. The rules are pretty simple."

Leorio scoffed. "Tch. Majority rule again?" He mumbled. "Well, I prefer rules that're straightforward." Killua said.

Lippo smirked. "But, keep in mind that the actual fights won't be so easy," he reminded the applicants. "The prisoner's sentences will be delayed by one year for every hour thy delay you applicants here. In other words, their goal is to buy time."

"I see," Kurapika said, taking a minute to look on his wristwatch. "And we need to reach the goal within seventy-two hours. Some time will be critical during these fights." 

"Okay, I'm up first." The prisoner said. This prisoner was known as Bendot, and he had a one hundred and ninety-nine year sentence for robbery and murder. "Choose your combatant!" He demanded.

Killua looked at Gon. "What should we do?" he asked. "He said we're free to use any fighting method we want, so anything goes." Leorio narrowed his eyes at Bendot. "Then again, we aren't sure what they'll pulling." He said. "There's too much at stake here without knowing what type of tricks they have up their sleeves," Kurapika added. "Given that, I've made the decision to-"

"No, I'll go." Tonpa said, interrupting Kurapika. He stepped a bit closer to the edge of the platform. "Mr. Tonpa?" Gon asked. Tonpa turned to Gon and smiled. "I'll be the guinea pig, so we can discover what they'll do," he explained. "Consider this as an apology for before."

Leorio was stunned. "Wait, are you serious?" He asked suspiciously. "Of course," Tonpa replied. Besides, you guys don't actually trust me, do you? Do you really want me to be the tiebreaker when the scores at two to two?" Leorio sighed. "Well, I guess you have a point there." He said.

Tonpa nodded. "Then it's settled." He declared. "Tonpa, you're..." Leorio began to say, but he didn't finish his sentence.

Suddenly, a stone path started to emerge from the front of the platform the gorup of six was on. The same was happening to the platform where the prisoners were. Tonpa slid his bag of his shoulder and put it on the ground. Then the stone path stopped moving when it reached the large stone platform that was in the middle of the other small platforms. Bendot was the first to step onto the path and start walking. Tonpa went next, keeping his eyes on his opponent.

Leorio was still surprised about Tonpa. "W-well, that was a surprise," he said. "I didn't expect Tonpa to volunteer first." Kurapika nodded a bit. "He even called himself a guinea pig too." He added.

"Is Mr. Tonpa gonna be okay?" Gon asked. Tenko narrowed his eyes at Tonpa. For some reason, he didn't believe the man. Well, who could believe a person after they tried to give you laxatives? However, there was nothing Tenko could do about it.

"Alright, let's determine a combat technique," Bendot said to Tonpa. "I suggest a death match." 

Tonpa's eyes widened. Leorio, Tenko, Killua, Gon, and Kurapika's eyes widened as well. "A death match?" Gon asked, startled. "They'll fight until one of them dies?" Leorio asked. "No," he said to Tonpa. "Don't let him provoke you!"

"Well, what do you say?" Bendot asked the man in blue. Tonpa glared at the prisoner with determination. "Very well then," he decided, putting his fists up and getting into a fighting stance. "I accept your challenge!"

Kurapika, Leorio, Gon, Killua, and Tenko were shocked. Bendot got into a fighting stance and smirked. "I admire you for you bravery!" He told Tonpa. The two of them stood far across from each other, not moving or saying a word. Tonpa felt a fiery aura surround him. Bendot felt the same way. Thanks to the two of them, the energy in the room was really tense.

Suddenly, Tonpa started to slowly wave his arms around, like he was trying to make a power move of some sort. Leorio was astonished and confused. "T-Tonpa." He said under his breath.

"Let the fight begin!" Bendot announced. Then the prisoner jumped up in the air, going straight for Tonpa. The man wearing blue raised his arms up a bit, like he was trying to do something. He let out a yell. The quintet was shocked at what was unfolding before them.

Tonpa raised his arms above his head. "I-" he started. "I give!" Then he went down on the floor on his knees, looking down. Bendot's eyes widened. Gon, Killua, Tenko, Kurapika, and Leorio froze in their spots, eyes wide. "Huh?" Killua said. Tenko tilted his head. "Wait, what?" Leorio said in disbelief.

Bendot landed on the ground on his feet. He looked down at Tonpa with a confused expression.

"Did he just say he gives up?" Gon asked in perplexity. "W-well, maybe he meant 'give me a sec'?" Leorio suggested, although he didn't sound too sure of himself. Bendot stared down at Tonpa. "What did you just say?" He asked. Tonpa looked up at the prisoner.

"Well, you win if I admit defeat, don't you?" he reminded the man, bowing back down. "I give up. I lose the match!" Then the man wearing blue looked back up at Bendot, laughing awkwardly. 

Leorio was shocked and pissed. "W-wha...wha...wha?" He asked himself. Bendot chuckled, which turned into laughs. Then his laughs died down and he grinned at Tonpa. "Alright, fine," he said. "I win this round, then. If we win two more rounds, then your team loses. You won't have the ability to advance or turn back, and you'll be stuck here until the seventy-two hours are over. If that is to happen, our sentences will be reduced by seventy-two years." Then Bendot started to cackle loudly and walk away.

Tonpa walked back to the quintet sheepishly. "Well, that was a shame," he said. "He looked a lot stronger than I thought when I saw him up close."

Leorio gritted his teeth and immediately grabbed Tonpa by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up. "You confirmed all my doubts," he affirmed. "You're just a piece of trash, only hanging around to sabotage everyone else." 

Despite being in the position he was in, Tonpa smirked devilishly. "You're exactly right," he said. "That's the thing I do every year, and I plan to continue it." Despite his anger, Leorio was a bit confused. "W-what?" He asked. Gon, Tenko, and Killua stared at Tonpa, having some interest in what he was gonna say.

"I'm not taking the Hunter Exam to pass it," Tonpa professed. "I'm only doing it for the thrill." Leorio raised an eyebrow at the shorter man. "The thrill?" He asked. "That's right," Tonpa replied. "The Hunter Exam is the testing ground that crushes young people, along with their dreams. It gives me a great amount of delight seeing the faces of those whose dreams have been crushed."

The man in blue smirked at the tall brunette. "I get so much enjoyment from it now, that I sabotage newbies actively," Tonpa confessed. "I don't want to become a Hunter. I've already had plenty of enough fun this year. I usually bow out at this point."

Leorio's eyes twitched and he gritted his teeth. He raised up his free hand and balled it into a fist, ready to land a punch at Tonpa. Kurapika grabbed Leorio's arm. "Stop Leorio!" He said. The tall brunette turned around to face the blonde. "But-!" He objected. Kurapika shook his head.

"This is what they want us to do," he said. "They want us to fight and argue amongst ourselves, and waste time." Leorio looked back at the prisoners. "But if their goal is to buy time, then the old man made the right choice." Killua stated. Tenko, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tonpa looked at the albino haired boy. "Huh?" Tonpa asked in confusion.

Killua focused his vision on Bendot. "That bald man is probably a former soldier or a mercenary," he explained. "If Tonpa were to actually fight him, the guy would've started by crushing your throat, so you wouldn't be able to say 'I give up'. Then he would've tortured you without killing you for the rest of the time."

Tonpa( who's face was now partially blue) turned to Leorio. "T-that was one of the possibilities I considered." He said. Leorio narrowed his eyes at the man. "You don't look so good." He commented.

Bendot stared at the group of six on the opposite side of the room. "My plan was interrupted," he said. "I planned on taking my time and toying with him." Suddenly, a different cloaked prisoner walked up. "Don't worry about it," he told Bendot. "Everything will be okay."

The prisoner's handcuffs were released and fell to the ground, resulting in another loud clank. The person tossed his cloak off. "If we defeat two of the ones left over, we win." He said. This prisoner was called Sedokan, and he was in prison for serial bombings. His sentence was 149 years. Sedokan wasn't as tall as Bendot and the others, and he had short brown hair.

"Nonetheless, we still need to win three rounds and advance onto the next phase." Kurapika told the group. "Who's going next?" Killua asked. Gon raised his hand up enthusiastically. "I will! I'll go!" He announced. Killua, Tenko, Tonpa, Leorio, and Kurapika looked at the green haired boy. "Are you sure?" Leorio asked.

Gon nodded excitedly. "Uh huh!" He answered. Killua watched as Sedokan walked up to the larger stone platform. "The next guy doesn't seem too strong." He observed. "Still, don't let your guard down Gon," Leorio said. "He's still a criminal, you know."

Gon nodded. "Yep, I know." He said, taking off his backpack. Tenko jumped off his shoulder and sat down on the ground. With a determined look on his face, Gon stepped up onto the path and walked down it.

The group watched Gon go, ready to see what he'd do in his match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this  
> Kudos and comments are more than welcome 👍


	10. Decisions X and X Observations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Gon's match with Sedokan. After that, Kurapika observes something about his opponent during his match, which makes him lose his control.
> 
> TW: Brief mentions of blood and gore, and some violence is there too.

It's now Gon's turn to battle. He's battling with a prisoner named Sedokan. He walks up to the large stone platform along with his opponent. Gon wasn't sure what to expect of Sedokan, but he was sure he could overcome it.

"Now then," Sedokan began. "As you can see, I'm not really strong. I don't really like fistfights, or any other physical activities, like running or jumping." 

"I'm good at those types of things myself, but I'm not really good when it comes to using my head." Gon said. Sedokan relaxed his shoulders. "I thought so," he said, before holding up a finger. "So that's why I came up with a simple game that we could both play." Gon raised an eyebrow slightly. "A game?" He asked.

"Yes," Sedokan replied. "It's one that doesn't rely on physical or mental activity, either." As cautious as he was, Gon was now curious. "What kind of game?" He asked the prisoner. Sedokan put his hands behind his back and fumbled them there for a bit. Then, he pulled out two candles. Tenko tilted his head in curiosity, wondering what the candles were for.

"We'll each light a candle simultaneously," Sedokan explained. "The candle that goes out first is the loser. What do you think?" Gon nodded. "Yeah, that sounds easy to understand!" He said, giving the prisoner a thumbs-up.

"Okay, let's go with that," Sedokan said. "In that case..." Sedokan held the candles out. Then, Gon realized what was different about the candles. One of the candles was shorter than the other. Gon wasn't the only one who realized this either. Leorio, Tenko, Killua, Kurapika, and Tonpa noticed this as well. Tonpa wasn't as worried as Gon's friends though. Instead, he smirked.

"...decide which candle you'd like to use," Sedokan conveyed. "Press O for the long one, or press X for the short one. This will be determined by majority rule." Everyone (minus the prisoners) was surprised. "We have to choose a candle?" Leorio asked. Then he glared at Sedokan. "This is a trap!" The tall brunette declared.

"Normally in a situation like this, you'd pick the taller one," Leorio said. "So he must've tampered with the taller candle!" Kurapika put a finger to his chin. "That would be a safe assumption to make, but it might just be a trick and he actually tampered with the shorter candle." Kurapika explained.

"Well when you put it like that..." Leorio said. "Yes, there isn't an end..." Kurapika spoke. 

"You've got a real predicament right there." Tonpa commented. "You keep your mouth shut!" Leorio told the man, giving him a side eye glare. Tonpa chuckled. "Yeah, yeah." he said, smirking.

Kurapika looked directly at Gon and Sedokan. "When a person is presented with an obviously biased choice, suspicious starts to mount and the decision-making process gets harder," he clarified. "What's worse than that is the psychologic impact of making the incorrect choice is much greater than if they problem had provided up two fair options."

Sedokan put the candles on the ground and sat down. "Go ahead and discuss it," he said. "Take your time. While this is a majority decision, you have the ability to kick it around. We've got plenty of time."

"Hmmm." Gon hummed in thought. Then he turned to his friends. "Hey, which candle should I pick?" The green haired boy asked them. Leorio clenched his fists. "Damn it," he said. "Which one?" Killua stared at Sedokan, then at the candles.

Kurapika put his head down. Then after a bit, he looked straight at Gon. "Gon, you decide!" He said. Leorio turned to the blonde. "Huh?” He asked. "We'll abide by your decision," Kurapika told Gon. "Choose which candle you think is best." Killua looked over at the Kurta. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "Gon never really thinks anything through."

"Instead of worrying and wasting time over what to do, let's rely on Gon's instincts." Kurapika answered. Killua looked back at Gon. "Instincts, huh..." He muttered.

"I get to choose?" Gon asked his friends. "Okay!" He looked back at Sedokan. "Alright, then I choose the long one." Gon decided. Sedokan's same smile was still plastered on his face. "You want the long candle?" He asked. Gon nodded eagerly and put up a finger. "Because a longer candle will burn the longest," he said. "It's really a no-brainer!" 

Leorio, Kurapika, Tenko, and Tonpa's eyes widened and they sighed exasperatedly. Killua rolled his eyes. "He can say that again..." Leorio sighed. "I knew he wouldn't think this thing through." Killua muttered.

"Well, that's that." Kurapika said, holding up his wristwatch and pressing the O button. Leorio scratched the back of his head. "It's not like we can figure out which one's the trap either." He said. He brought up his wristwatch and pressed the O button. Killua and Tonpa also held up their wristwatches and pressed O.

The sign on the larger stone platform lit up and showed the results. Everyone chose O, and no one chose X. "Okay," Sedokan said, standing up. "You get the longer one then. I'll take the short one." The prisoner tossed the long candle over to Gon, who caught it successfully.

Sedokan and Gon each walked over to a torch. The torches lowered so the were at the boy and the prisoner's levels. "Now, let light our candles together." Sedokan said, looking at Gon. The green haired child looked over at the man and gave him an approving look. Simultaneously, they stuck their candles into the torches' flames and held them there for a little bit.

After a few seconds, Gon and Sedokan took their candles away from the torches. Lippo watched through the candles as the two opponents walked back to the center of the platform. The examiner smirked and took a bite out of his cookie.

Gon and Sedokan grasped their candles in one hand, and stared at each other. Killua looked at his wristwatch. There was now 68 hours left. "How long would it usually take for that candle to burn?" He asked. "Possibly five to six hours?" Kurapika answered, despite the fact that he didn't seem so sure. Tenko yawned, feeling a little bored. The fox jumped onto Killua's shoulder to see what was happening better. Killua glanced at Tenko, but didn't move the fox and simply let him stay there.

Suddenly, a big gust of wind from below flew up, almost putting out Gon's candle. "Woah...that was really close." Gon said, slightly covering his candle.

"There's a strong draft coming up from below," Leorio remarked. "So that must mean they have to stay still and not get distracted, huh?" The brunette looked back over at the green haired boy and the prisoner. The prisoners looked at the opponents. Every now and then, Gon briefly glanced up at Sedokan, then looked back down at his candle.

Sedokan looked at Gon and chuckled. "You know, if you don't pay attention to your candle, it'll go out." He advised the boy. "Well that's because you're planning to do something bad," Gon objected. 'Otherwise, your candle would be the first to go out."

"Oh, I'm not gonna do anything," Sedokan said. Then the man looked at Gon's candle. "After all, I already have."

Suddenly, as if on cue, Gon's candle flame started to grow and flare strongly and aggressively. Sedokan smirked. "See?" He said. Leorio, Kurapika, Killua, and Tenko's eyes were wide. "Hey, look at Gon's candle," Leorio said. "The flame suddenly got stronger!"

"The prisoner must've spiked the candle with an accelerant to make the it burn faster!" Kurapika implied. Gon's candle wasn't looking too good. It was burning fast and wax was dripping onto the floor. "H-hot! Hot!" Gon vocalized.

"At this rate, Gon's candle will only last another two or three minutes." Kurapika said. Damn it." Leorio said. Then he looked at Sedokan. "Hey, that was a dirty trick," he yelled. "I knew you tampered with the long candle somehow!" Sedokan smirked. _'You're wrong,'_ He thought. _'I actually arranged four candles. The contrasting decisions you faced was just my way of hiding the real trap.'_

Sedokan watched as Gon struggled with his candle, which was melting fast. _'You suspected that only one candle had been tampered with,'_ Sedokan thought to himself. _'The choices were so uneven, you didn't consider the possibility of both candles being spiked!'_ Before the game began, Sedokan hid the long candle behind his back and replaced it with a different long candle. _'It didn't matter which candle you chose, because either way, I would've given you an oil-soaked candle of either length.'_ He thought.

Gon stared at his candle, thinking of what he could do. Then his eyes widened. He looked at Sedokan and gave him a wide, toothy grin. The prisoner's smirking expression was replaced with a confused face.

"Since the flame's burning really wildly...' Gon began, putting the candle down on the floor. "...little draft won't extinguish it, right?" Then in a flash, Gon turned around on his heel and dashed over to Sedokan. The prisoner's eyes widened as Gon got close to him. _'So quick!'_ Sedokan thought in surprise.

Gon got close to Sedokan's candle. Then he puffed up his cheeks and gently blew, making the candle quickly go out. Sedokan's eyes went wide.

The green haired boy turned around to look back at his candle. The flame was still there. Gon smiled and turned back to Sedokan, holding up the peace sign. "I win!" He said excitedly. Sedokan stared at the boy, confused and a bit disappointed.

Killua, Tenko, Leorio, and Kurapika smiled. "All right!" Leorio cheered. Tenko barked happily. Tonpa looked at Gon with surprised, wide eyes. Bendot's eyes were wide as well. Even though their faces couldn't be seen, the prisoners were stunned too.

Lippo had watched the entire thing happen on his screen. "Wow, he's got a real spring to his step," he commented. "And he's got the ability to take advantage of a negative situation. This boy's pretty impressive."

The metal paths appeared and Sedokan and Gon walked on the back to their respective platforms. "Yay, I won!" Gon said happily, walking back to his friends. Leorio smiled. "Good job, Gon," He said. "Now we've got a win!" Tenko barked joyfully and barked his tail. "Once me and Kurapika win, we can all advance to the next phase!" Leorio said.

As Sedokan walked back to his platform, the prisoners looked at him. "You fool," one of the prisoners said. "That's what happens when you choose to rely on cheap tricks and tools." Sedokan sat down and leaned on the wall. "Tsk." He muttered.

"If you plan to fool someone, you've got to make a sacrifice," he said, holding his arms out. "Just watch." Then the handcuffs were detached. The cloaked man stepped forward. Kurapika also stepped forward from his platform. "All right, I'll be going next." He confirmed. The blonde and the prisoner simultaneously walked on the metal paths to the large platform.

When Kurapika and the prisoner got onto the platform, the stood in the center and stared at each other. The metal paths went away as well.

Kurapika kept his eyes focused on his opponent. The opponent seemed to be focusing on Kurapika too. Then he used on of his hands to take his cloak off, tossing it to the side. Leorio's eyes widened. So did Gon and Tenko's. Even Killua was a bit surprised.

Kurapika's opponent was a strong-looking, shirtless man. He had blue skin and had red hearts on his right chest ab. The man appeared to have a black eye as well and the rest of his face looked ugly as well. He yelled out confidently, then laughed.

"I'm next!" He said. Then he laughed again. This prisoner was Majitani, and he had a prison sentence of one hundred and eight years for many crimes, including blackmail and fraud. "That's one bizarre body..." Leorio commented. "And face." Killua added. 

Despite the man's appearance, Kurapika looked calm, but had determination in his eyes as well. "Look at this," Majitani said, pointing to his right ab with the hearts adorning it. "I've killed nineteen people, but it annoyed me that nineteen is an uneven number. Then he chuckled at the blonde Kurta. "I'm pleased that I get to meet number twenty." He said. Then he laughed again. Tenko didn't like Majitani's laugh. It was weird and nasty to him.

Leorio narrowed his eyes at Majitani. "So now we have a serial killer?" He muttered.

"I won't be satisfied with this unless we put our lives on the line," the prisoner implied. "I'm not gonna accept some half-assed competition." Then Majitani's eyes widened insanely. "Blood! Guts! Agony!" He declared. Majitani cackled again, looking up above. _'How's that?'_ he thought to himself. _'You must be scared now, huh?'_

"Fine." Kurapika finally said. Majitani's cackling abruptly stopped when Kurapika answered. "Huh?" He asked. "Name the competition, and I'll accept your choice." Kurapika responded simply.

Majitani clenched his fists. "O-oh," he said. "You've got guts." The prisoner eyed the blonde sharply. _'I know you're shaking in fear,'_ Majitani thought. _'Just how long can you keep this tough guy act up.'_

"Well then, I propose a fight to the death," he stated. "We'll go until one of us dies or surrenders. But, don't expect me to stop when you admit defeat and beg for your life!" The Majitani looked up and cackled loudly again. _'I bet he's super scared now!'_ The prisoner thought confidently. 

"Very well," Kurapika inquired. "I accept." Upon hearing these words, Majitani's laughing died down quickly. _'Wait, huh?'_ He thought, stunned. Kurapika threw off his tabard and kept his eyes on his opponent. "Shall we begin?" The Kurta asked.

Majitani was astonished. _'Is he stupid or something?'_ he thought. 'Did he not hear what I said? I literally said we're fighting to the death!' The prisoner looked at the blonde, who was waiting patiently for the match to start. _'I mean, doesn't my appearance frighten him?'_ Majitani thought to himself in confusion.

Majitani held his hand out. "Wait a second," he said. "I forgot to mention something. No weapons are allowed during our match. We're gonna have a plain and simple fistfight. Besides, I may be hired as an examiner, but I'm still a prisoner regardless. I'm not allowed to have any weapons."

"I see," Kurapika said. "I understand that." The Kurta reached behind his back and tossed his bokken away, which landed next to his tabard. "Is there anything else before we begin?" Kurapika asked the prisoner. "If not, I'd like to get this started." 

"Huh? Hmm..." Majitani said in thought. He was getting sick of the Kurta now. _'That little bastard,'_ he thought. _'He had a hidden weapon! That was a close one. But it seems that_ _he doesn't rely on it. Is he really that confident in his fighting ability? No, that doesn't seem like it.'_

Then Majitani looked back at Gon, Tenko, Killua, Leorio, and Tonpa. _'Maybe he wants to run away, but can't do it in front of his friends?'_ the prisoner thought. _'Or he's just so dumb that he can't process how scary I am? Yeah! That must be the case!'_

Majitani smirked. 'Well then if that's it, I've got a couple tricks up my sleeve for dealing with idiots like him.' He thought. Then the prisoner took a big breath and held it. The Majitani clenched his fists and went into a position similar to a gorilla. As he was doing this, it seemed like his body was getting bigger. His muscles enlarged. Kurapika stared at Majitani as the prisoner was doing what he was doing.

Leorio watched Majitani. "Hey now," he said. "Is Kurapika gonna be okay? This guy seems pretty dangerous." Killua put his arms up behind his head and watched Kurapika and Majitani with a bored expression. _'In what way does he seem dangerous?'_ he thought. _'To me, this guys just all bark and no bite. He doesn't have to guts to actually attack anyone, let alone kill anyone.'_

"You don't need to worry." Gon said, breaking Killua's train of thought. The albino haired boy turned to the green haired boy. "Huh?" He asked. Leorio looked at Gon. "Why not?" He questioned.

"Because when I look at him, I don't get the chills or anything." Gon replied. "What's that supposed to me?" Leorio asked. Killua looked at Gon with a confused expression, but it disappeared and he smiled at Gon.

Majitani had a bigger body frame now. He was still hunched over as well. Finally the prisoner looked up at Kurapika with a wide smile. "Time for me to show you my first secret weapon." Majitani said. Then he hunched down a bit lower and jumped up, looking to land for Kurapika. "I'm gonna give you some real pain!" Majitani yelled.

"Here he comes!" Leorio said. As Majitani was getting closer, he brought his fist up and aimed it for Kurapika. The second Majitani was almost near Kurapika, the blonde quickly jumped away, causing the prisoner's punch to miss him and hit the floor instead. The punch left a hole in the platform's floor.

Kurapika landed on his feet away from Majitani, along with a few rocks from the ground. "Wow..." Tonpa said, sweat going down his forehead. "He made a hole in the floor with his bare fist!" Leorio remarked in astonishment. Killua looked uninterested. Gon looked interested though, and Tenko did as well.

Majitani was proud of himself, thinking of how perfect his punch just was. 'The best part is, I still have one secret weapon left.' He thought. Majitani took his fist out the floor and turned around, showing the Kurta his backside. As soon as he did this, Kurapika gasped and his eyes widened.

On Majitani's back, there was a big spider tattoo. The spider was black and had twelve legs. "It's a tattoo of a twelve-legged spider," Leorio stated. "Could it be?" Tonpa nodded. "Yep, I recognize it," he said. "Anyone who desires to become a Hunter has heard of them." Tonpa actually looked nervous. Tenko tilted his head. He was unsure about what Leorio and Tonpa were talking about.

"That tattoo is the symbol worn by members of that diabolical band of violent thieves...the Phantom Troupe!" Tonpa explained. Tenko's head popped up and his eyes widened. He knew who Tonpa was talking about now. The fox recalled Kurapika talking about the Phantom Troupe back at the boat that was taking them to the Hunter Exam.

Gon turned to Leorio. "Is that true?" Gon asked. "Yeah, there's no mistake," the tall brunette replied. "Everyone knows. I learned about them straight from Kurapika.

Kurapika was still on one knee. His head was down, so his expression couldn't be seen. Majitani began to walk away from Kurapika, looking at his fist. _'Between the steel that's_ _embedded in my body, that gives my arms the strength to shatter rock,'_ the prisoner thought to himself. _'Not to mention the Phantom Troupe symbol. After seeing both of_ _those things, nobody should want to fight me!'_

Then, Kurapika started to stand up. He was still looking at the ground. Majitani saw this and smirked. "What's the matter?" he asked mockingly. "Cat got your tongue?" The blonde Kurta was silent. He didn't move at all.

"I'm Majitani, one of the Four Dark Devas of the Phantom Troupe," the prisoner said. "Consider that first strike of mine as my way of saying hello." Kurapika was still dead silent, staring down at the floor. "I'm giving one you last chance to surrender and admit defeat. Keep in mind, I'm still willing-"

Suddenly, Kurapika looked up and stared Majitani dead in the eye. The Kurta's eyes were scarlet red. Majitani stopped talking and looked confused. "Huh?" He said. Kurapika stared Majitani dead in the eye motionlessly. If you paid attention, the only thing you could really hear were Kurapika's hitched breaths.

"W-what's wrong with you?" Majitani asked, backing away a small step from the blonde. He blinked, they opened his eyes quickly. However, something wasn't right. Kurapika wasn't standing where he was before. Majitani didn't see him anywhere. _'W-what?'_ The prisoner thought to himself.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Majitani's chin harshly and lifted him up into the air effortlessly. Majitani was struggling and somewhat whimpering as Kurapika held him this way. The blonde Kurta balled up his free hand into a fist. Majitani saw this and panicked. "O-o-okay, o-okay," he said. "Wait! Lay off, okay!?"

However, Kurapika didn't listen to the prisoner's pleads. He flipped the man over, and while Majitani was in the air, Kurapika used his fist to punch his opponent in the face roughly. Majitani's body went airborne again. Kurapika jumped back and looked at Majitani, who landed on the floor. The prisoner landed on his back first, then bounced a few times, landing on his back again.

Tonpa, Gon, Leorio, and Tenko were shocked. Tenko had a feeling that Kurapika was strong, but he didn't really expect that. To him, it was honestly kinda impressive. Killua grinned and let out a whistle.

Majitani was laying on the floor on his front side, not moving at all. Kurapika was a few feet beside him. "Here's some advice," the Kurta began. "One: An authentic Phantom Troupe tattoo has a member number imprinted inside. Two: They also don't bother tallying the number of how many people they've annihilated. Three: Never, ever, mention the Phantom Troupe again, or I _will_ kill you." Kurapika turned to glance at Majitani. His scarlet eyes glowed for a split second.

Gon, Leorio, Tonpa, Killua, and Tenko were surprised. The prisoners were admittedly stunned as well. Sedokan and Bendot stared at Kurapika like he was insane. Sweat was running down Tonpa's forehead. "A-amazing." He uttered. Leorio narrowed his eyes at the blonde a bit. "Kurapika..." He avowed. 

"Well, I saw that coming a mile away." Killua implied. Gon's surprised eyes softened. "Yeah." He said quietly.

The metal paths began to emerge from the platform and connected to the other platforms. Kurapika saw this and went over to collect his tabard and bokken. After collecting his belongings, Kurapika walked back to the group. "Kurapika, are you alright?" Leorio asked the blonde.

"Yes, I'm not hurt." He replied. Kurapika's voice was soft, and his demeanor seemed to be a bit calmer now. "I mean," Leorio said, backing away a bit as Kurapika walked closer. "Is it safe for us to be around you?" Kurapika put his hand on his forehead. "From the first minute I saw him, I could tell he was weak," he conveyed. "Mentally, I knew the tattoo wasn't real, but as soon as I saw that spider, everything just turned red."

Leorio put a hand behind his head. "Well, I can't really blame you there." He admitted. "Actually, to be honest..." Kurapika began to say. This got everyone's attention. The blonde closed his eyes. "Even when I see a real spider, my personality changes drastically, and I get into a turmoil." He admitted.

Everyone's expressions were surprised a bit more. "Well, you should let us know about things like that sooner." Leorio told the blonde. Kurapika walked past everyone and sat down on the floor, pushing his back up against the wall. The blonde pushed his knees up and perched his arms on them. "But this means that the rage residing in me remains as strong as ever," he said with a sigh. "Well, I suppose I should be glad."

The group looked at Kurapika. Tonpa was still astonished, and most likely terrified. Leorio crossed his arms and looked at the blonde. He was worried for him. Gon looked up at Leorio and tried to whisper in his ear. "I think we should try keeping Kurapika away from any spiders." He said. "Definitely." Leorio agreed.

Tenko jumped off Gon's shoulder and trotted over to Kurapika. Leorio noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What's he doing?" He asked. Gon and Killua shrugged. Tenko got over to Kurapika's side and gently nudged his arm with his nose.

When Kurapika didn't respond to Tenko, the fox whined softly. Tenko nudged Kurapika's arm again and whined. He didn't like seeing him distressed like this. Hell, he didn't like seeing anyone he cared about distressed. Kurapika finally lifted his head up a little and was face to face with the fox. Tenko's ears flattened on his head and he whined softly.

Kurapika sighed and reached out to pet Tenko. The fox warmed up to the touch and wagged his tail. After a bit, Kurapika stopped petting Tenko and covered his face again. Tenko knew that the blonde probably needed some time to himself. He got up and trotted back up to Gon and jumped onto the green haired boy's shoulder.

Gon smiled at Tenko. "Good job, Yuki." He said, petting the fox. Tenko smiled and wagged his tail a bit. Killua, Leorio, and Tonpa was a bit confused and surprised, but didn't say anything.

Bendot scoffed at Majitani, who was still laid out on the floor. "Damn it, Majitani," he said. "You're absolutely useless. It seems like his face is wounded from a botched plastic surgery. He's one hell of a fraud." Then Bendot turned to one of the prisoners near him. "Hey, you understand this, don't you?" Bendot asked. "After two more losses, our backs are up against the wall."

"Let me handle it," a feminine voice said. "I have a plan." 

Leorio walked up to the edge of the platform a little, waiting for the metal path to start emerging. "Alright, I'll secure our victory!" He declared in determination. The prisoner Bendot was speaking with stepped up to the edge of the prisoner platform a bit as well. 

The next match was about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Plus, to anyone wondering what a tabard is, a tabard is the top that Kurapika wears over his white clothes.


End file.
